Lashing out at the leaders of 26 Opposition parties for naming their alliance I.N.D.I.A, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday said any attempt to distort the country’s name for political gains was condemnable.

Addressing BJP workers at an event in Agartala on Sunday, CM Saha said, “India is a nation that thrives on unity in diversity, and any attempt to distort its name for political gains is condemnable.”

The BJP leader also came down heavily on the Opposition bloc over their “naming and spelling strategy”.

“CM Saha accused the opposition of misusing and misinterpreting the sacred and respectable name of our nation, India, for political gains, displaying their ill motives and intentions towards the nation’s progress and development,” read an offiicial release.

“Such a name is unjustified, illogical, and utterly wrong, as it distorts the correct spelling of India and disrespects the nation’s integrity,” the CM was quoted as saying in the release.

“He emphasized that the correct spelling of India has no stops or interruptions between its alphabets, symbolising the unity and diversity that the country stands for. By twisting the spelling, the opposition parties are attempting to draw sympathy and attention from innocent people, playing with their emotions for mere political vendetta,” the release read.

The CM urged the Opposition parties to reconsider their tactics and focus on constructive approaches to address the nation’s challenges and ensure the development of its huge population, it added.

Saha said the welfare and progress of the country should be the primary goal of all political party, regardless of their ideological differences.

“Instead of indulging in petty name games, he called for cooperation and healthy debates to find solutions to the nation’s issues,” the release added.

Twenty-six Opposition parties had named their alliance I.N.D.I.A during their second meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month.