Senior Congress leader AK Antony on Monday said India should go back to the basic ideas that were given by Jawaharlal Nehru, adding that is the only saving position for keeping the unity of the country.
"Indian National Congress believes that all those who live in India but speak different languages, and follow different customs must get equal protection," senior Congress leader AK Antony said addressing the media persons in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.
"Religion is a reality but the Congress and the Constitution believe in protecting all of them. Every person must be treated equally by the Government of India," Antony said further adding that the country should go back to the basic principles held by the former Prime Minister of India.
"India should go back to the basic ideas that were given by Jawaharlal Nehru that is the only saving position for keeping the unity, diversity, peace, progress, and Integrity of India," he added.
Antony named the principles of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as-- Dams and related business, agricultural growth, scientific temper, federalism, strong center, strong states, strategic autonomy, and nonalignment-- and mentioned that with these policies India became a friend of all. All his principles are written in Constitution, he said.
Emphasizing that economical inequality should end in the country, he also said that the fight in the name of language is unfair.
"India should not fight in the name of the language. When there was a demand for Dravidstan in Tamil Nadu, Nehru told Tamil people not to worry and assured of the implementation of three languages so that all languages are protected," Antony said.
"Congress is not against Hindi. It is the language of the country but regional languages are also required. Implementing Hindi everywhere will only cause harm. The opposition to Hindi is getting stronger in the state," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on October 31 said that in the past, forces that were perturbed due to India's progress still exist and campaigns are being run to make one Indian language an enemy of another.
Notably, PM Modi's statement on that day had come in the backdrop of controversy over the recommendation of a parliamentary panel to make Hindi the medium of instruction in central educational institutions, over which Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
( With inputs from ANI )
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