'RaGa on Bharat Jodo Yatra While His MP Talks of Dividing India': DK Suresh’s Remarks Draw Huge Ire

New Delhi: A day after Congress leader DK Suresh made controversial remarks demanding ‘a separate country', several leaders in the Parliament, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Congress MP Manickam Tagore, raised the issue in Lok Sabha, seeking an apology from DK Suresh over his divisive remarks, and necessary action from the party leader Sonia Gandhi. Asserting that “this [Suresh's recent remarks] is a violation of his oath [that the Congress leader too as a Member of Parliament]”, Joshi quipped, “I demand an apology and action from Sonia Gandhi, and urge that the matter be sent to the Ethics Committee”.

Stressing that the Congress high-command should take an appropriate action over its leader's remarks, Joshi further said, “If they [Congress high-command] don't [take the necessary action], [then] the country will be forced to believe that they too are involved in 'tukde tukde' of the country", news agency ANI reported.

Underlining that “it is very unfortunate” that they [Congress leader(s)] are demanding to make "Karnataka a separate nation", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “While Rahul Gandhi is carrying out the party's ‘Bharat Jodo [Nyaya] Yatra’, his [sitting] MP is talking of dividing India”.

"India – that is 'Bharat' –  shall be the Union of States”, Prasad said, citing Article 1 of the Constitution. “He [DK Suresh] doesn't have the right to remain an MP even for a minute”, Prasad further averred.

Meanwhile, BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy wrote a complaint letter, requesting the Lok Sabha speaker to disqualify Congress MP DK Suresh for his anti-nation statement. “Such statements endanger the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the Republic of India”, Narayanaswamy said.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, on the other hand, evoked Gandhi and Nehru, even as he stressed that “these kinds of statements from any of our friends are not acceptable”.

“The Congress Party has fought for the country's freedom and has sacrificed many things for the country, and that is well recognized by the people as well”, news agency ANI quoted Tagore as saying.

“Starting from Mahatma Gandhi to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to Sardar Patel…. We are from that legacy... and such statements from any of our friends are not acceptable”, Tagore further said, adding, that “Prime Ministers like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and Chief Ministers like Beant Singh and Hiteswar Saikia – they all sacrificed their lives for the country's unity”. 

Asserting that ‘the Congress stands for the Idea of India’, Tagore lamented Suresh's remarks, stating, “These kinds of words are merely personal opinions, and we don't authorize them”. 

'BJP is Politicizing the Issue', Claims DK Shivakumar

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Friday, once again, defended DK Suresh, claiming that "the BJP is politicizing" the issue. "I was born an Indian and will [also] die as an Indian", Shivakumar said, steering clear of the divisive remarks made by his party fellow.

"Even he [DK Suresh] has said that he is an Indian", Shivakumar averred, adding, that "He has come on record stating this".

Responding to a question on the Congress distancing itself from DK Suresh, Shivakumar stressed, "he [DK Suresh] is quite capable of handling himself".