Politics
'Global consensus is needed': Cong on Dharmendra Pradhan's 'Mahakal Standard Time' proposal
Published On Sat, 04 Apr 2026
Asian Horizan Network
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New Delhi, April 4 (AHN) The Congress on Saturday expressed apprehension about Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's proposal to replace Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) with 'Mahakal Standard Time' (MST). While party leader Udit Raj maintained that a "global consensus is needed" for a such a thing, Raashid Alvi blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for doing "whatever they want".
Union Minister Pradhan made the proposal while addressing the International Conference "Mahakal: The Master of Time" on Friday at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
Moreover, he had also called the city "the original centre of time calculation".
Reacting on Union Minister Pradhan's proposal, Congress leader Udit Raj said, "It is difficult to explain what this concept actually is."
While highlighting India's rich scientific history, Raj mentioned about plastic surgery in ancient India and the wisdom that the country shared with the world.
He expressed his disappointment that despite possessing such significant knowledge, the world still relies on the European school of thought.
He told AHN, "Yet much of it is not visible today. People still follow the European schooling system. (European) knowledge and technology, that is being used by everyone. Maximum things have been defined by them only."
Moreover, the Congress leader noted, "For something like this, global consensus is needed. Often such proposals are made but do not sustain, like the Koo app trying to counter X, which eventually disappeared. There aren't enough details available. No initiative can be based solely on belief."
Raj asserted that the idea must be scientifically and logically proven.
"If it turns out to be correct, we will support it," he said.
Meanwhile, accusing the BJP, Congress leader Raashid Alvi said, "Those in the government can do whatever they want."
"Arguments in the Supreme Court and High Courts, are currently conducted in English. Not a word is uttered in Indian language. That should be ended and instead arguments should be conducted in Hindi and Sanskrit," he told AHN.
According to Alvi, simply changing the time will not achieve anything.
"They (BJP leaders) should start wearing 'dhotis' and follow all cultural practices," he said.
"When power is in their hands, they are busy changing the names of streets, cities, and even Mughal Gardens. Yet, they themselves do nothing productive. They just rename things made by others and think that counts as development. Now they want to even change the time," he alleged.
Alvi also added, "They should first change themselves -- their lifestyle, their clothing."



