The Tamil Nadu BJP on Sunday criticized the state government’s decision to organize a speech competition in honor of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary, accusing the ruling DMK of being overly focused on Nehru’s legacy while sidelining other national leaders who contributed to India’s independence and progress.
In a statement, BJP State spokesperson ANS Prasad expressed strong disapproval of the Tamil Development Department’s initiative to hold the speech competition on November 12 and 13, ahead of Nehru’s 135th birth anniversary on November 14. Prasad argued that India’s identity and history extend beyond Jawaharlal Nehru and his family.
“The DMK government must recognize the collective contributions of all national leaders, not just Nehru and his family. India’s struggle for independence and progress involved numerous leaders, and their contributions deserve equal recognition,” Prasad stated.
The BJP leader urged the Tamil Development Department to expand its focus and hold similar competitions to honor other prominent national leaders such as Bharathiyar, VO Chidambaram Pillai, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, BR Ambedkar, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and APJ Abdul Kalam. He emphasized that these competitions should not be limited to leaders associated with the ruling party’s ideology.
“Competitions on the birth and death anniversaries of all notable leaders should be organized, not just those aligned with the DMK’s political beliefs. This would provide students with a deeper understanding of India’s diverse political heritage,” Prasad added.
Additionally, Prasad took aim at the state government’s tendency to name welfare schemes after late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, accusing the Stalin administration of prioritizing the party’s legacy over a more inclusive representation of India’s political leaders.