Under fire, Stalin Jr says BJP twisted his anti-Sanatan Dharma remark

Stalin Jr compared Sanatan Dharma with dengue, coronavirus, and malaria

| Updated: 07 September, 2023 3:52 pm IST

In the light of his Sanatana Dharma remark, FIR has been registered against Udhayanidhi in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh

CHENNAI: Amid fears that his remarks could dent DMK’s vote bank in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote an open letter to party cadres defending himself for calling to eradicate Sanatan Dharma.

His letter comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his ministers that the comment “needs a proper response”.

In his letter, Udhayanidhi – the son of chief minister and DMK chief MK Stalin – reiterated his position that he will not withdraw or apologize for his remarks. He has accused the BJP of twisting his words and using them as a “weapon to protect themselves”.

“It is the seers who need a lot of publicity today. One such a seer has jumped in and put a price of Rs 10 crore on my head. What surprises me more than the price on my head is how can someone who claimed to have renounced everything have Rs 10 crore,” he wrote in the letter

He further said that his speech at the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association conference in Chennai was about the need to eradicate the social evils associated with Sanatana Dharma, such as caste discrimination and gender inequality. He said that he was not calling for the destruction of Hinduism, but for its reform.

“The BJP is trying to divert the people’s attention from the real issues by making false accusations against me,” Stalin said. “They are afraid of facing questions about the Manipur violence and the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Let us resolve to work for the victory of the ideologies of Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar and Perasiriyar. Let Social Justice flourish forever. pic.twitter.com/Eyc9pBcdaL

— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) September 7, 2023

Stalin also urged the DMK members not to resort to violence or hatred in response to the BJP’s attacks. He said that the DMK is a party of peace and tolerance, and that it will always defend the rights of all people, regardless of their religion or caste.

He further said that the BJP has been using the issue of Sanatan Dharma to divide the people and to further their own political agenda. He said that the BJP is not interested in the welfare of the people, but only in power.

The DMK leader’s remarks have been met with mixed reactions. Some people have supported his stance, while others have criticized him for his comments. The BJP has also condemned Stalin’s remarks, calling them “divisive” and “anti-Hindu”.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against Udhayanidhi in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from politicians of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Udhayanidhi, his father and DMK have faced criticism from Hindu seers and religious leaders.