'I would not bring religion into politics': Kharge on Udhayanidhi's Sanatan Dharma remarks

Responding to DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks against Sanatan Dharma, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge said that he would not bring religion into politics.

Addressing media on Saturday, he asserted that any talks or debate on the issue of religion should be held in a different platform and his priority is to fight next Lok Sabha elections by uniting all Opposition parties under the I.N.D.I.A alliance.

Terming Udhayanidhi's statement on Sanatan Dharma as his personal view, Kharge said that his party believes in the concept of 'Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava', which implies equal respect to all the religions. DMK is a part of the Opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A, which also includes the Congress.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to his ministers to give appropriate response against Sanatan Dharma remarks shows on which ideology BJP is standing. But, I follow the Constitution and take all together. I speak about social justice," he added.

Claiming that the alliance of Opposition parties has 60 per cent vote bank while the ruling NDA has 40 per cent vote bank, he said that there is a trend in favour of the alliance.

"All these parties will chalk out a future course of action in the fourth meeting to be held in north India. The decision on seat-sharing will take time," he added.

G20 summit

On being not invited for the G20 dinner, hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, Kharge said that the BJP leaders should not have done politics in it.

Reacting to the controversy after the Centre's move to refer to the country as Bharat instead of India, the Congress leader questioned government initiatives like Make in India, Khelo India, Digital India. “Such thoughts started in the minds of the ruling party leaders at the Centre after the launch of the I.N.D.I.A alliance. They are trying to divide the society through creating such illusions in the minds of the people,” he said.

Expressing displeasure over the central government not consulting him before announcing a special session of Parliament, he said that not taking the floor leader into the confidence would send a bad message in the democracy.

He also opined that it is not possible to introduce the concept of 'one nation, one election' as legislative assemblies would be dissolved on many occasions and it cannot be stopped.