Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 14: Joining the host of the BJP leaders who are trying to keep the controversy on Sanatana Dharma on the boil, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a scathing attack on the INDIA alliance on Thursday said the opposition bloc wanted to finish the Sanatana Dharma and push the country back to thousand years of slavery.
It was Modi’s first public reaction on the Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s attack on the Sanatana Dharma comparing it with some diseases on which the Prime Minister had earlier told his cabinet colleagues to stay away from commenting on the issue as it required “proper answering.” Modi made the statement in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Thursday after laying the foundation stone of a ₹49,000-crore petrochemicals complex at Bina Refinery in Sagar district along with ten other industrial projects (a total of ₹50,700 crore) in the BJP-ruled state where assembly elections are due by the year-end.
“They held a meeting in Mumbai recently, and I think they decided the policy and strategy of how to run the ‘ghamandia’ alliance there. They have also decided on a hidden agenda. The strategy is to attack the culture of India. They have decided to attack the faith of Indians and finish the thoughts, values and traditions that have united the country for thousands of years,” the PM said.
Terming the Opposition ‘INDIA’ alliance as “ghamandia” (arrogant), Mr Modi said they neither have any policies or issues nor a leader. They have a hidden agenda of attacking Sanatana Dharma, which they want to destroy.”
Drawing a link between India’s heroes and the Sanatana culture, he said, “The ‘ghamandiya’ alliance has resolved to finish the Sanatana culture and traditions that inspired Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. It was the strength of Sanatana that the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmibai, could challenge the British and say that she would not give up her Jhansi.” PM Modi said Mahatma Gandhi considered Sanatana Dharma to be essential to his life. “He was inspired by Lord Ram all his life. His last words were ‘Hey Ram’,” he added.
The Prime Minister asserted that Swami Vivekanand and Lokmanya Tilak were also inspired by Sanatana and it was this culture that moved freedom fighters who were hanged by the British to say that they wanted to be born “in the lap of Bharat Ma” again.
“In the days to come, they will step up their attacks on us. Every Sanatani, every person who loves this country, those who love the people of this country; all of us have to stay vigilant. They want to finish Sanatana and push the country back into 1,000 years of slavery. But we have to stop such forces together. Through the strength of our organisation, we have to ensure that their strategy does not succeed,” he said.
The state-of-the-art Bina refinery of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, which will be developed at a cost of about ₹49,000 crore, will produce about 1,200 KTPA (Kilo-Tonnes Per Annum) of ethylene and propylene, vital components for various sectors like textiles, packaging and pharma among others.
This will reduce the country’s import dependence and be a step towards fulfilling the prime minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat,’ officials said. The mega project will also create employment opportunities and spur the development of downstream industries in the petroleum sector.
In his speech, PM Modi credited 140 crore people of India for the success of the G-20 Summit, and said it has raised pride of people and country. Targeting the Congress, the PM said those who ruled Madhya Pradesh for a long time did nothing else other than corruption and crime.
He announced that the government will provide 75 lakh new gas connections in the country. “₹50,000 crore projects being set up in Madhya Pradesh, which will give impetus to the State’s development,” he said.