- Monday, February 24, 2025
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of PM Modi tore into A Raja, a leader from the southern state, over his controversial remarks on India and Hindu gods.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Indian opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has found itself in a fresh controversy after a senior leader of Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the ruling party of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, made remarks on “Jai Shri Ram” (Hail Lord Ram) and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (Hail Mother India) and a statement “we are enemies of Ram”.
He also said that India is not a nation but a subcontinent with several traditions and cultures also faced wrath of the country’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party who accused him of calling for the country’s “Balkanisation”.
A Raja, deputy general secretary of the DMK and a former federal minister, made the controversial remarks in a speech in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday (4). It comes a day after the apex court pulled up Tamil Nadu’s sports minister and Raja’s colleague Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is the son of the state’s chief minister M Stalin, for allegedly abusing his right to freedom through remark such as “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” made last year.
The hate speeches from DMK’s stable continue unabated. After Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call to annihilate Sanatan Dharma, it is now A Raja who calls for balkanisation of India, derides Bhagwan Ram, makes disparaging comments on Manipuris and questions the idea of India, as a nation.… pic.twitter.com/jgC1iOA5Ue
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) March 5, 2024
Pouncing on Raja’s remarks made in Madurai, the BJP’s information technology cell head Amit Malviya posted the former’s speech with the translation (from Tamil into English) saying, “India is not a nation. Understand this well. India is never a nation. One nation means one language, one tradition and one culture. Then only it is one nation. India is not a nation but a subcontinent. What’s the reason? Here, Tamil is one nation and one country. Malayalam is one language, one nation and one country. Oriya is a nation, a language and a country. All these nations make up India. So, India is not country it is a subcontinent.
PM Modi asserts that there will be no DMK in Tamil Nadu after elections. If DMK is not there after elections, there won’t be India. Beware! You playing a game is it? I’m not joking. Constitution of India says ‘We the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India… pic.twitter.com/GQ7rlutb2f
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) March 5, 2024
“There are so many traditions and cultures. If you come to Tamil Nadu, there’s a culture. In Kerala, there’s another culture. In Delhi, there’s another culture. In Oriya, there’s another culture. Why in Manipur, as RS Bharathi said, they eat dog meat. Yes, it is true, they eat. That’s a culture. There’s nothing wrong. It’s all in our mind.”
On Lord Ram, Raja was quoted as saying by a News18 report, “If you says it’s this God, this is Jai Sri Ram, this is Bharat Mata ki Jai, then we and Tamil Nadu will never accept Bharat Mata and Jai Shri Ram….Tamil Nadu won’t accept. You go and tell, we’re enemies of Ram.”
If you say this is the God. If this is your Jai Sri Ram, if this is your Bharat Mata Ki Jai, we will never accept that Jai Sri Ram and Bharat Mata. Tamil Nadu won’t accept. You go and tell, we’re enemies of Ram.
I don’t have faith on Ramayana, and lord Ram. If you say that in… pic.twitter.com/EALfz8dgaM
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) March 5, 2024
Posting Raja’s speech, Malviya said, “The hate speeches from DMK’s stable continue unabated. After Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call to annihilate Sanatan Dharma, it is now A Raja who calls for balkanisation of India, derides Bhagwan Ram, makes disparaging comments on Manipuris and questions the idea of India, as a nation.”
The DMK leader’s ‘we are enemies of Ram’ remark was criticised even by its ally Indian National Congress which advised restraint while speaking.
Supriya Shrinate, a spokesperson of the party, said, “I 100 per cent disagree with his remarks. From this platform, I condemn such a statement. I believe Ram belongs to everyone and is all encompassing.”
Tejashwi Yadav, leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal from Bihar, which is also an ally in INDI Alliance, said Raja’s statement was his personal and not of the alliance.
Senior BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Raja saying questioning the very idea of India and dishonouring Hindu gods has become the INDI Alliance’s political agenda.
