The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday attacked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks in which he had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “suppressing the voice of the Tamil people”.
BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan sought to criticise the Rae Bareli MP, stating that in the last 11 years, PM Modi has given the highest honour to the Tamil language, culture and traditions, both on the national and international stage, while the Congress leader and his opposition allies keep trying to “create division in the country in the name of caste, language and region.”
Paswan told reporters, “Rahul Gandhi was on a political tour of Tamil Nadu, and there he made a very shameful statement which has no relation to reality or logic…in the last 11 years, the kind of sensitivity towards the Tamil language and culture that the Honourable Prime Minister has shown has never been seen before.”
He said, “Rahul Gandhi and all the opposition leaders…keep trying to create obstacles to peace and stability by spreading regionalism, casteism and linguistic chauvinism. For the first time in the history of the country, the Tamil language has received respect and representation not only within India’s borders but also on global platforms such as the United Nations and the G-20.”
Underlining initiatives such as the Kashi Tamil Sangam 4.0, among others, Paswan said the commitment of the BJP towards the Tamil civilisation and Tamil issues is paramount.
“Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to make such statements or to allege that the BJP is suppressing the Tamil voice. If he has any argument or fact, he should present it before the media,” he said.
“The commitment of the Modi government towards Tamil culture has always been there and will remain in the future as well. The Congress and opposition parties need to rise above negative politics and divisive statements,” Paswan added.
Last week, in the wake of the controversy over Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, Gandhi had posted on X: “The I&B Ministry’s attempt to block ‘Jana Nayagan’ is an attack on Tamil culture. Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.”
