News Brief
'We Are Enemies Of Ram, India Not A Nation': DMK's A Raja Sparks Controversy, BJP Calls Out INDI Alliance's Silence
DMK's A Raja.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) parliamentarian A Raja, sparked outrage on Tuesday (5 March) with his remarks stating that the people of Tamil Nadu would not accept slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
“…If this is your Jai Shri Ram, if this is your Bharat Mata Ki Jai, we will never accept that Jai Shri Ram and Bharat Mata. Tamil Nadu won’t accept. You go and tell, we’re enemies of Ram,” A Raja said.
Earlier, speaking at a public gathering in Coimbatore on 3 March, Raja also questioned the significance of Lord Ram and criticised the Hindu epic Ramayana.
He said, “I don’t have faith in Ramayana, and lord Ram. If you say that in name of the Ramayana is human harmony, where four brothers are born as siblings, one kuravar as brother, one hunter as brother, another monkey as another brother, another monkey as the sixth brother, then your Jai Sri Ram is Chi! Idiots!”
His comments, made on the occasion of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's birthday, further targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the concept of India as a nation.
He claimed that India was not a nation but a subcontinent.
Raja's remarks drew swift condemnation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with party spokesperson Amit Malviya accusing the DMK of perpetuating hate speech.
Amit Malviya quoted A Raja as 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. "
Malviya also criticised the DMK for its hate speech and derogatory comments against Sanatana Dharma and accused the party of undermining the unity of India.
He also highlighted the silence of Congress and other allies in the INDI Alliance, questioning their stance on Raja's controversial statements.
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