Shekhawat backs Modi: Congress blamed Hindus for its failures
Synopsis
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat endorsed PM Modi's charge that Congress pinned its failures on Hindus, asserting the current government treats national sentiment and culture as its foremost development priority.
Key Takeaways
Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat posted on June 10, 2026 , amplifying PM Modi 's remark that Congress blamed Hindus for its own failures.
Shekhawat described the remark as reflecting the 'deep pain' of a large section of India whose sentiments were 'always betrayed.' He asserted that under the current government, national sentiment and culture are accorded 'first priority in sustained development.' The BJP has backed this narrative with policy action since 2014 , including the PRASAD pilgrimage infrastructure scheme launched in 2014-15 .
The statement is seen as part of a broader BJP electoral communication strategy ahead of the 2027 assembly elections .
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, shared a pointed political statement on X, amplifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that the Indian National Congress had historically deflected its failures onto Hindus, while asserting that the present government treats the nation's sentiment and culture as top priorities.
Context
Shekhawat's post, written in Hindi, quotes and endorses a remark attributed to PM Modi: 'Kaangres ne apni vifaltaaon ka kalank Hinduon par madh diya' ('Congress has pinned the stigma of its own failures on Hindus'). The minister frames this not merely as political criticism but as an expression of the 'deep pain of a large section of the country whose sentiments were always betrayed.'
He adds that the era of 'playing with the nation's sentiment and culture' is over, and that both are now accorded 'first priority in sustained development.' The post carries a video, the contents of which are consistent with the minister's broader cultural advocacy messaging.
Policy Backdrop
The BJP-led government has, since 2014, systematically positioned cultural preservation as inseparable from infrastructure and economic development. Flagship initiatives such as the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD), launched in 2014-15, channelled central funds into religious tourism infrastructure at major pilgrimage sites across India.
Large-scale corridor projects at prominent temple sites have further reinforced this approach, presenting heritage and Hindu cultural identity as legitimate objects of state investment — a departure from what the BJP has long characterised as the Congress-era policy of deliberate neglect. Shekhawat, as the minister holding the Culture and Tourism portfolio, is the institutional face of this agenda.
Stakeholders and Impact
The statement speaks directly to Hindu communities who have long felt that their cultural concerns were subordinated or ignored in mainstream policy discourse. For the heritage tourism sector, the government's dual emphasis on sentiment and development translates into continued budget support for pilgrimage circuits, museum upgrades, and intangible cultural heritage programmes.
The Congress party, named explicitly in both the attributed Modi remark and Shekhawat's framing, faces a renewed political charge ahead of electoral cycles. The post fits a well-established BJP pattern of contrasting its cultural record with Congress-era governance to consolidate its core voter base.
What's Next
Attention will now turn to the next Union Budget and whether the Ministry of Culture receives enhanced allocations to back the rhetoric of 'first priority.' State-level temple and heritage projects in poll-bound states, particularly ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, are likely to be announced as concrete follow-through on this political positioning.
Shekhawat's amplification of Modi's remarks signals that cultural identity will remain a central, not peripheral, plank of the ruling party's communication strategy in the months ahead.
Point of View
Shekhawat elevates what might otherwise read as a party statement into a governance claim — that cultural dignity is now embedded in policy, not just rhetoric. The timing, well ahead of the 2027 assembly cycle, suggests the party is seeding this narrative early to frame budget and heritage announcements as fulfilment of a long-standing promise. The Congress party, conspicuously absent from the exchange, will need a substantive policy counter rather than a purely defensive response if it hopes to contest this framing.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat say about Congress and Hindus?
Shekhawat endorsed a remark attributed to PM Modi stating that Congress had 'pinned the stigma of its own failures on Hindus,' calling it an expression of the deep pain felt by a large section of the country whose sentiments were always betrayed.
What is the PRASAD scheme mentioned in the context of BJP's cultural policy?
The Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) is a central government scheme launched in 2014-15 to develop and beautify infrastructure at major religious and pilgrimage sites across India, forming a key pillar of the BJP's cultural tourism agenda.
Why is Gajendra Singh Shekhawat making statements on Hindu sentiment?
As Union Minister of Culture and Tourism and a senior BJP leader, Shekhawat is the government's institutional voice on cultural policy; his statements on Hindu sentiment directly connect to his ministerial mandate of preserving and promoting India's cultural heritage.
How does the BJP's cultural policy differ from Congress-era policy?
The BJP has framed its approach as actively investing in religious tourism and heritage infrastructure — through schemes like PRASAD and major temple corridor projects — in contrast to what it characterises as Congress-era neglect or deliberate sidelining of Hindu cultural concerns.
What political significance does this statement carry ahead of 2027 elections?
The statement is part of a consistent BJP narrative that consolidates its Hindu voter base by contrasting its cultural record with Congress governance; ahead of 2027 assembly polls, such messaging is expected to be reinforced with concrete heritage and budget announcements.
