India has never been one nation: A Raja

New Delhi/Chennai: A controversy erupted on Tuesday after the Opposition parties tagged a video of DMK leader A Raja purportedly making remarks that India has never been one nation, but a subcontinent with diverse cultures, drawing a strong reaction from the BJP that categorised the comments as ‘hate speech’ and demanded his arrest. In a video where he is seen addressing a party-organised meeting, Raja purportedly said, “India is not a (one) nation. Understand this well. India has never been one nation. One nation denotes one language, one tradition, and one culture, and only such characteristics make one nation.” Claiming that India is not one nation, but a subcontinent, Raja said, “What’s the reason? Here, Tamil is one nation and one country.

Malayalam is one language, one nation and one country. Oriya is one nation, one language and one country. All such national races constitute India. So, India is not a country, it is a subcontinent that has various practices, traditions and cultures.”

“In Tamil Nadu, there is a culture and in Kerala, there is another culture. Similarly, in Delhi, there is a culture. In Odisha, there is yet another culture. In Manipur, dog meat is eaten, which is a cultural aspect. In Kashmir, there is one culture,” he said.

“Every culture has to be recognised. If a community eats beef, recognise it. What is your problem? Did they ask you to eat? So, (that is) unity in diversity. We have differences and it has to be acknowledged,” he added. Amit Malviya, BJP in-charge of IT wing, in a post on X, said, “The hate speeches from DMK’s stable continue unabated. After Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call to annihilate Sanatan Dharma, it is now A Raja who calls for balkanisation of India, derides Bhagwan Ram, makes disparaging comments on Manipuris and questions the idea of India, as a nation.”