Don’t use ‘Har Har’ slogan: Modi to supporters

Narendra Modi is fighting the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. (PTI)

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday urged his supporters to avoid using ‘Har Har Modi’ slogan after various political parties and Hindu seers raised objections over it.

“Some enthusiastic supporters have been using the slogan ‘Har Har Modi’. I respect their enthusiasm, but request them not to use this slogan in the future,” Modi tweeted on the microblogging site Twitter.

Supporting the Gujarat chief minister, the BJP distanced itself from the “Har Har Modi” slogan raised by its supporters in Varanasi and said its official slogan was “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar” (This time, Modi government).

“It has come to our notice that in a few television channels there are discussions on “Har Har Modi” as if it is a BJP “nara” (slogan),” party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in a statement.

Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, Swaroopanand Saraswati was unhappy over the traditional chant ‘Har Har Mahadev’ which is raised to hail Lord Shiv being ‘modified’ into ‘Har Har Modi’, to spruce up Modi’s campaign.

Political parties like Samajwadi Party and Congress have also protested against BJP’s slogan ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi’, saying it disrespected Lord Shiva.