Sep 7 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have ordered his Cabinet to respond “properly” to Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks associating “Sanatana Dharma” with malaria, dengue, and corona and calling for its “eradication.” According to numerous media sources, Prime Minister Modi stated this to the cabinet during a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday ahead of the G20 Summit.
The prime minister also cautioned ministers against making superfluous comments on the “India-Bharat” dispute, stating that only those authorised to speak on the subject would do so. “Don’t go into history, stick to basic facts,” PM Modi stated during the meeting.
The prime minister’s words come just days after Udhayanidhi’s remarks sparked a major response from the BJP and certain members of the Opposition’s INDIA group. While the BJP called it a ploy of the INDIA bloc parties to denigrate Hinduism, the DMK leader called for the “genocide of India’s 80% population” who follow “Sanatana Dharma.”
INDIA bloc member and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Stalin junior should respect all religions equally and refrain from making remarks that harm the partnership. The Congress party stated that all religions must be respected while also stating that people have the right to voice their opinions. Priyanak Kharge, the son of Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, endorsed Stalin junior and said that any religion that rejects equal rights is as bad as a disease.
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Another issue raised by PM Modi’s remark was the India-Bharat argument, which erupted after formal dinner invitations from the President’s Office referred to her as “President of Bharat” rather than the usual “President of India.” In addition, the term “Prime Minister of Bharat” was used in a notice about PM Modi’s visit to Indonesia.
This fueled speculation that the government intends to remove the country’s English name from the Constitution. After naming their coalition INDIA- an acronym for Indian National Democratic Inclusive coalition- the opposition parties said the administration is apprehensive of utilising the India label.
The government dismissed the opposition’s assertions as speculations, claiming that the term Bharat is already in the Constitution. The country is referred to in Article 1 of the Constitution as “India that is Bharat.”
