Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday questioned the Congress over its alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu over the southern party’s “anti-Sanatana” stance. In an interview with news agency ANI ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, PM Modi asked as to what was Congress’s compulsion over making an alliance with the DMK which spewed “hatred” and “venom” against the Sanatana Dharma.
“I look at this question differently. The question should be asked to the Congress. The Congress with which Mahatma Gandhi’s name was associated. The Congress where Indira Gandhi used to wear a garland (Rudraksha mala) around her neck. The question should be asked to the Congress. What is your helplessness? Why are you sitting with people who are so vicious against Sanatana? Will your politics remain incomplete? What is this Congress thinking? This is the topic of concern. The DMK must have been born in hatred. The question is not theirs, the question is of a party like Congress. That has it lost its original character,” PM Modi asked Congress.
“The people who were sitting in the Constitutional Assembly, most of them were Gandhian, most of them were people associated with Congress. When the first Constitution was made, the painting on every page of it was connected to the tradition of Sanatana. In that constitution, Sanatana was a part of the government. And today, if someone has the courage to abuse Sanatana so much, and if you do the politics with them for the election and support that party, then it is a matter of concern for the country,” the Prime Minister added.
DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had compared ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue’, saying it should be “eliminated” as it was rooted in the caste system and historical discrimination.
PM Modi also said that there was anger against the DMK among Tamils and people were now looking at BJP as an option. “When people were disappointed with the Congress, they moved towards the regional parties. Now people are disappointed with these parties. In this atmosphere of disappointment, they saw the model of the BJP government in Delhi. They saw the model of the BJP government in other states in India. The Tamils who live across the country went to their homes and said that this is happening in the state where we live,” he said.
Responding to Congress allegations that if BJP wins 400 then there will be only one language and one religion, PM Modi said, “I don’t understand that a person who goes to the UN and for the first time praises the oldest language of the world, Tamil, on what basis are you accusing that person?”
“When I wear clothes from different states, they also have a problem with that. They want to put the country in a singular structure. We worship diversity, we celebrate diversity. And I want to tell everyone, like I said, when anyone wants to become a doctor or an engineer why can’t they become one in their mother tongue? I celebrate the mother tongue and I am increasing its importance,” he added.
Tamil Nadu, which has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies, will vote on April 19 in the first phase of General Elections. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
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