MUMBAI: The NCP on Wednesday targeted the BJP over the Gujarat government's decision to rename dragon fruit as 'Kamalam', saying the time may not be far when the saffron party would start calling the country as "Kamalastan".
The BJP has now started "branding itself on fruits also," NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said in a statement.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday said his government has decided to rename dragon fruit as 'Kamalam'.
Reacting to it, Tapase said, "The BJP has now started branding itself on fruits also. We fear that the time may be not far when they would start addressing Hindustan as Kamalastan."
The BJP's election symbol is lotus, which is called 'kamal' in Hindi.
Rupani on Tuesday said the Gujarat government has applied for a patent to change the nomenclature of dragon fruit, which is largely grown in Kutch, Navsari and different parts of Saurashtra, to 'Kamalam'.
He also said there is nothing political behind renaming of the fruit.
"The name dragon fruit is not proper, and due to its name one thinks of China. So we have given it the name 'Kamalam'," Rupani said.
"Farmers say it looks like lotus and that is the reason we have named it 'Kamalam'," he added.