Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said Mughals, British and other rulers failed to wipe out the Sanatan Dharma from the country in the past, but eradicating it is now the agenda of the INDIA alliance, and hence Hindus need to wake up and show the opposition bloc its place.
Referring to Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's remark calling for eradication of Sanatan Dharma, and blaming it for promoting division and discrimination among people, he said the statement was a "planned" one.
Addressing a press conference at Gwalior, around 430 km from here, Sawant also said the 'one nation, one election' will ensure that the country develops at a faster pace as imposition of the model of conduct due to frequent elections creates hurdles in development at present.
When asked about the use of the name 'Bharat' during the G20 summit, the Goa CM said the name Bharat is already there in the Constitution and it is already being used everywhere since Independence.
"The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) changed its name to INDIA alliance, which is actually new wine in an old bottle. Changing the name does not change the policies and intentions. Their agenda is to eradicate Sanatan Hindu Dharma," he said.
Hence, it is necessary for every Hindu to oppose this alliance, he said.
"I don't even want to pronounce the words used by them for Sanatan Dharma. All Hindus should wake up and show them their place. This is a pre-planned statement at the time of INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai. He had brought this statement in writing," Sawant said, referring to Udhayanidhi Stalin.
"Even the Mughals, British, Dutch, Portuguese failed to wipe out the Sanatan Dharma and now the INDIA alliance and the Congress are talking about this. They (INDIA alliance and Congress) need to be eliminated," he said.
Apart from Stalin, another DMK leader A Raja criticised the Sanatan Dharma, likening it to diseases like leprosy and HIV.
Replying to a query, Sawant said, "I very much welcome the 'one nation, one election' (concept). I think there should be one nation, one election. This will further increase the progress of the country."
He was in Gwalior to participate in the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' being taken out by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from five places in the state, where assembly elections will be held by this year-end.
"The imposition of the model code of conduct due to frequent elections creates a hurdle in development. The country will benefit greatly in terms of human and financial resources through one nation, one election," he said.
In reply to a question about the Congress's allegation of corruption in Madhya Pradesh, Sawant said, "Only scammers see scams."
He said the BJP governments present their report card before the public.
Sawant hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership, saying the G20 summit hosted by India was the most successful, which ensured consensus among the member countries on the joint declaration.
