DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Credit: PTI Photo
DMK youth wing chief and Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for “eradication” of Sanatana Dharma from the society billing it as being responsible for many “social evils” has triggered a major row with the BJP taking objection to his remarks and seeking clarification from the Dravidian outfit and its ally, Congress.
Speaking at a conference on ‘Eradicating Sanatana Dharma From the Society’ here on Saturday organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers, Artists Association, Udhayanidhi said Sanatana Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion and uprooting it will only lead to upholding humanity and human equality.
“The conference’s title is apt. I appreciate them for calling for the eradication of Sanatana and not merely opposing it. For instance, mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, and Corona, we should eradicate these, and not just oppose. Likewise, Sanatana should also be eradicated from the society. It is not enough if we merely oppose it,” Udhayanidhi told the event.
The word Sanatanam was derived from Sanskrit and it is against equality and social justice, the Sports Minister added.
BJP I-T wing chief Amit Malviya was the first to oppose Udhayanidhi’s statement by posting a short video clip of the DMK leader’s speech and sought to know whether this was agreed at the I.N.D.I.A. meeting in Mumbai on September 1.
“Udhayanidhi has linked Sanatana Dharma to malaria and dengue. He is of the opinion that it must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for genocide of 80 per cent population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma,” Malviya wrote on X platform. “DMK is a prominent member of the Opposition block and a long standing ally of the Congress. Is this what was agreed in the Mumbai meet?” he asked.
In his response, Udhayanidhi said he never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma, but said he stands firmly by every word he had spoken.
“I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma…Let me reiterate the crucial aspect of my speech: I believe, like the spread of diseases like Covid-19, Dengue, and Malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils,” he added.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai also criticised Udhayanidhi, saying the state is a land of spiritualism and the best he can do is to hold a microphone in an event and rant his “frustration”.
“The only resolve that the Gopalapuram Family has is to accumulate wealth beyond the State GDP. You, your father, or his or your idealogue have a bought-out idea from Christian missionaries & the idea of those missionaries was to cultivate dimwits like you to parrot their malicious ideology,” he said.
To another tweet on X, Udhayanidhi said he was prepared to confront any challenges that came his way, whether in a court of law or the people's court.
“Stop spreading fake news. Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge…I will say it today, tomorrow, and forever: Our resolve to stop Sanatana Dharma from the Dravidian land would not reduce even a bit,” he added.