The DMK leader said that India was never a country but a subcontinent with several cultures, traditions, and practices.
A Raja. (X)
DMK MP A Raja has said that India has never been one nation, but is a subcontinent that is home to diverse practices and cultures even as the BJP slammed him and alleged that it was a call for “balkanisation” of the nation.
In a video where he is seen addressing a party-organised meeting, Raja purportedly said, “India is not a (one) nation. Understand this well. India has never been one nation. One nation denotes one language, one tradition, and one culture, and only such characteristics make one nation.”
Claiming that India is not a nation but a subcontinent, Raja said, “What’s the reason? Here, Tamil is one nation and one country. Malayalam is one language, one nation and one country. Oriya is one nation, one language and one country. All such national races constitute India. So, India is not a country but a subcontinent with various practices, traditions and cultures.”
At the public meeting in Coimbatore on 3 March, A Raja also referred to the chants of “Jai Shri Ram” raised by supporters of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case when they were released. According to media reports, he said: “…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.”
“In Tamil Nadu, there is a culture and in Kerala, there is another culture. Similarly, in Delhi, there is a culture. In Odisha, there is yet another culture. In Manipur, dog meat is eaten, which is a cultural aspect. In Kashmir, there is one culture,” he said.
He added, “Every culture has to be recognised. If a community eats beef, recognise it, what is your problem? Did they ask you to eat? So, (that is) unity in diversity. We have differences, and it has to be acknowledged.”
BJP in-charge of IT wing, Amit Malviya, shared A Raja’s speech in a post on X, saying, “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. Congress and other INDI Alliance partners are quiet. Rahul Gandhi, their putative Prime Ministerial candidate’s silence is eloquent.”
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
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