Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Tuesday said that India with a majority of Hindu population is already a Hindu rashtra and that there is no need for a debate on the matter. Nath made the comment after a question was asked on spiritual preacher Dhirendra Shastri's purported demand to make India a Hindu Rashtra by a journalist at a press conference in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal.
"..Data shows that 82% people in the country are Hindus...when there are Hindus in such high percentage in a country, then is there even a need to say or is it even a matter of debate that it is 'Hindu rashtra'?," said Nath in reply to the reporter's question.
The comments by Nath comes after the spiritual discourse of Dhirendranath Shashtri on Nath's home turf Chhindwara concluded on Monday.
Speaking further at the press conference, the veteran congress leader hit back at the Centre and alleged that it has failed to prevent atrocities against tribals in Manipur and in Madhya Pradesh.
"There is a raging dispute between tribals and non-tribals even as the country is going to celebrate the World Tribal Day on August 9," Nath was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Nath accused Chief Minister Shivraj Singh of failing to protect tribals in Madhya Pradesh and said that a private company owner in Gujarat's Rajkot district thrashed 15 youths from Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of theft.
"They were kept as hostages and four of them sustained serious injuries. A video of atrocities against them also went viral," Nath alleged.
He also sought an explanation from the Chief Minister in this regard and asked him to list steps taken so far regarding the "atrocity" committed against the tribals in Rajkot.
While making the allegation against Chouhan, Nath also cited incidents of alleged gang rape of two ST girls in Rewa district and firing on a tribal youth in Singrauli district.
Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are due later this year.