Modi Asks his Ministers not to Comment on “Bharat and Sanatana Dharma” Controversies
NEW DELHI, Sept 6: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is learnt to have advised his ministers to stay away from commenting on the current India-Bharat name change row and the “Sanatana Dharma” controversy raked up by some remarks by the Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
After almost two days of massive “Bharat-India” political row, Modi on Wednesday asked his ministers to stay away from commenting on the issue adding that only the authorized person should speak on the matter. “Do not comment,” sources quoted him as saying at a meeting of the Council of ministers where G20 and other issues were discussed. This is the first time Modi is learnt to have discussed the subject with his ministers.
“Do not go into history, but stick to the facts as per the Constitution. Also, speak about the contemporary situation of the issue,” the Prime Minister said while speaking at a meeting of the Council of Ministers ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
As the opposition demanding the government to disclose the agenda of the September 18- 22 the special session of Parliament accusing the ruling party of “creating a smoke screen” to deflect attention from the lacunae in their governance that has triggered unemployment, poverty and price rise, some top government sources said the special session was meant to discuss the G20.
About the Stalin controversy, Modi told his ministers that the issue had to be “answered properly.” Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, triggered a political row after he compared the Sanatana Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria. “Such things should not be opposed but destroyed,” he said, while speaking at an event in Chennai on Saturday.
The comments sparked a backlash from several political parties, with the BJP insisting on the Congress to condemn his remarks. Udhayanidhi, however, later claimed that he had not called for violence against the followers of Sanatana Dharma.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur against Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge on Wednesday, for allegedly outraging religious feelings with their statements. Priyank, also a minister in the Karnataka government, in a statement had supported Stalin’s stand on the “Sanatana Dharma” ad had said any religion that did not ensure equality for all was nothing but a disease.
(Manas Dasgupta)
