Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a stinging attack on Rahul Gandhi, charging the Congress leader with betraying his ''maternal roots in Italy'' by denigrating Chhath Puja festival.

The former BJP president, who addressed four back-to-back rallies in poll-bound Bihar, also claimed the INDIA bloc will be ''wiped out'' as people of the state will ''avenge'' the ''insult to Chhathi Maiyya'' that came months after Congress workers in the state had allegedly hurled abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother.

''Rahul baba has said Modi and others who worshipped Chhathi Maiyya were indulging in drama. His maternal roots are in Italy, and hence he is incapable of appreciating Indian sensibilities,'' alleged Shah.

He urged voters to press EVM buttons having NDA symbols with

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