New Delhi: Taking a dig at the opposition for naming its alliance ‘INDIA,’ Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said "Today people are using names like Indian Mujahideen and Indian People's Front".
"Merely adding the name 'INDIA' doesn't make it so. "The East India Company had also used 'INDIA' in its name, and even the name of the Indian Mujahideen includes 'India", BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, quoting Prime Minister Modi during his address in the BJP's Parliament Board meeting, said.
Calling opposition "directionless" Modi said"I have never see such "directionless" opposition and cited the "Indian Mujahideen" and "Popular Front of India" as he derided the opposition alliance for its new name, INDIA.
The PM said, "As the Britishers came and named themselves East India Company, in the same way, the opposition is presenting itself in the name of India."
The BJP's parliamentary party meeting was held today following , the ongoing demand from the opposition for a discussion on the Manipur issue and a statement from Modi.
"PM Modi has given a statement that the Indian National Congress, East India Company was founded by a foreign national", Ravi Shankar told the media outside parliament.
"Just using the name INDIA does not mean anything. People cannot be misled merely by the use of the country's name", Mr Prasad quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Rebutting the Modi's statement, the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, "When opposition is raising an important issue of Manipur, the Prime Minister is saying "East India Company" which is unfortunate.
“So many members have given notices under Rule 267 since 4 days now and it's not the first time when the BJP was in the government, back in 2016, it had accepted that discussion should happen" Kharge said. (UNI)