New Delhi, December 6 : Union Minister Anurag Thakur intensified his criticism of the opposition’s north-south divide remarks on Wednesday, accusing the Congress of plotting to demean Indian culture and identity rather than examining the reasons for its electoral setbacks. During a press conference in the capital, Thakur also raised concerns about the silence of senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on the matter, questioning whether the divisive comments had their approval.
He emphasized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promotion of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) while condemning the opposition for resorting to offensive language and blaming electronic voting machines (EVMs) and regionalism for their losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
Thakur, who serves as the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, criticized the Congress for not analyzing the reasons behind their defeats and instead blaming EVMs while insulting Sanatan Dharma, Hindus, and Hindu culture.
He highlighted the Congress’s shift from issues of casteism and religion during the election campaign to the current narrative of a north-south divide, accusing the “arrogant alliance” of leaving no stone unturned to insult Hindu, Hindi, and Sanatan Dharma.
Thakur’s remarks followed DMK’s Lok Sabha member DNV Senthil Kumar’s description of the Hindi heartland as “gaumutra” states, which fueled discussions on a North-South divide after the BJP’s victories in northern states and the Congress’s success in Telangana.
Thakur questioned the Congress’s association with the DMK, criticizing their alleged insults to Hindi, Hindus, and Sanatana Dharma. He pointed out instances where political leaders made divisive remarks, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s comment on “Telangana DNA” being superior to “Bihar DNA.”
Thakur attributed the trend of a north-south divide to Rahul Gandhi’s defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, accusing him of making derogatory statements about north Indians in Wayanad after losing in Amethi. He claimed that the current insulting comments by Congress allies were contributing to the division of the country along regional lines, reflecting the Congress’s strategy of “divide and rule.”
