‘India a subcontinent, not country’, remarks on Ram: What DMK’s A Raja said, triggering political firestorm

DMK leader and former Union Minister A Raja has said India is not a nation in conventional terms with one language, one culture and one tradition. It was not a country, but a subcontinent, he said.

At a function in Coimbatore to celebrate Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s birthday on March 1, Raja said, “One country means one language, one culture, one tradition. India was not a country but a subcontinent. Here, Tamil Nadu is a country, with one language, and one culture. Malayalam is another language and a culture… Keeping them all together is what made India — this makes India a subcontinent, not a country.”

Further, referring to supporters of the Bilkis Bano gangrape convicts chanting “Jai Shri Ram” when they were released, Raja said, “If this the god you are talking about, if this is your ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, we will never accept your ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata’. Tamil Nadu cannot accept that. You go and tell everyone that we are enemies of Ram.”

His remarks, however, met with strong criticism not just by the BJP, but its own partners in the INDIA grouping, the Congress and the RJD. While BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh said these people “want to destroy the sanatan culture”, RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav quickly said it was Raja’s personal statement and not that of the alliance. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate condemned his statement and said, “I think people should exercise restraint while talking… Ram belongs to everyone and is an ideal of living live.”

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| Patna, Bihar | On DMK leader A Raja’s remarks on ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and the idea of India, RJD leader