Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday criticised Congress MP DK Suresh’s ‘separate nation’ comment, saying that such a remark from a member of a national party is unfortunate.
Responding to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said that a nation is not just a piece of land for us.
“A nation is not just a piece of land for us. For all of us, it is an inspirational unit...If one limb of the body doesn't function, the entire body is considered disabled. Similarly, if one corner of the country is devoid of development, the country cannot become developed...The language that is being spoken today, new narratives are being built out of political selfishness to break the country,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by ANI.
Modi added: “What can be a bigger misfortune for the country?...Such a mindset is coming out of a national party. It is unfortunate! Our tax, our money! What language is being used? This is dangerous to the future of the country.”
{{/usCountry}}Modi added: “What can be a bigger misfortune for the country?...Such a mindset is coming out of a national party. It is unfortunate! Our tax, our money! What language is being used? This is dangerous to the future of the country.”
{{/usCountry}}Congress MP and Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh, courted controversy last week as he expressed dissatisfaction over the allocation of funds to the southern state.
Following the presentation of the interim Budget by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Suresh said, “The central government has been ignoring South India when allocating funds. They allocate more funds to North India, especially the Hindi heartland. This is not changing, and if this continues, it will provoke us to get separated from the Hindi heartland and demand a separate country. We must get what we deserve.”
Also Read | Karnataka Cong leaders mull formation of forum for southern states: Report
After his comments were criticised by several members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the lawmaker clarified that his advocacy for a “separate nation” was not an official stand of the Congress but “rather a reflection of the dissatisfaction prevailing among the people of Karnataka and other southern states.”
He also cited issues such as the lack of response to demands for a Kannada flag, disparities in language funding, and unresolved water-related concerns as contributing factors to the frustration felt by the region.
Prime Minister Modi had criticised Suresh’s ‘separate nation’ comment during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President's Address in the Lok Sabha. He said that some forces in the country are trying very hard to divide the nation.
“It is shocking that some people are talking about dividing our nation. Forget about uniting, all they want to do is break this country into pieces. They are not satisfied with the divisions they have done and wish to create new issues. How long will this go on?” he asked.a