While the Congress party maintained distance from the row over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark on Sanatan Dharma, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman put out an old video of Tamil Nadu Congress chief KS Alagiri saying that the purpose of the alliance in the state is to destroy Sanatan Dharma and the BJP. This comes as the Sanatan Dharma row turned into a major controversy with opposition alliance INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) facing the heat for the DMK leader’s statement.
Union home minister Amit Shah led the attack on INDIA as he said, “These people have talked about Sanatan Dharma for votebank appeasement. They have insulted (Sanatan Dharma).” Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out that when Udhayanidhi Stalin made the statement on eradicating Sanatan Dharma, Tamil Nadu minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments PK Sekar Babu was present and he did not protest.
On Sanatan Dharma row, BJP renews attack at Opposition; Kharge’s old speech shared
Actor-turned-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin stood by his comments after they snowballed into a major political controversy. Udhayanidhi said Sanatan divided people on the basis of caste. Like malaria, dengue, Sanatan should be eradicated and not merely opposed.
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram said there was nothing wrong in what Udhayanidhi said as Sanatan in common Tamil parlance means caste hierarchical society. “What Udhayanidhi meant is caste hierarchical society needs to be eliminated, It has no other deeper philosophical meaning as others seem to attribute towards it. For time immemorial, Sanatan Dharma means caste hierarchical system,” Karti Chidambaram said adding that there was no call for genocide in Udhayanidhi’s statement. The ‘genocide call’ stemmed from BJP’s accusation as BJP’s Amit Malviya said eradicating Sanatan means a call for wiping out 80% population of the country.
Tamil Nadu Congress leader Lakshmi Ramachandran said in Tamil Nadu Sanatan means Hindutva which is the ‘greatest threat’ to Hindus and Hinduism. “Hindutva has divided our society, has othered the minorities, used my religion politically to spread hatred,” Lakshmi Ramachandran said.
The BJP sought answers from the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray as they are all alliance partners. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said it is Rahul Gandhi’s test to prove whether he respects Sanatan Dharma and whether the Congress would sever its ties with the DMK for Udhayanidhi’s statement. The VHP sought a clarification from the Tamil Nadu government on whether Udhayanidhi’s statement is what the government stands by. “If it is so, we will tell the central government that Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution give every person the right to practise his religion. It is the duty of the government to protect it.” VHP working president Alok Kumar said.
