DMK leader Udhayanidhi's ‘eradicate Sanatan Dharma’ remark leaves Congress divided

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Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge of keeping quiet on the matter. While Tamil Nadu Congress leader Nana Patole had distanced the party from Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks saying that the Congress party respects all religions and does not want to make any comments that could hurt anyone's sentiments, the principal opposition party on Monday stressed that others also have the freedom to express their views. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said while the Congress' stand is clear, every other political party has the freedom to express its own view.

"Actually, our view is very clear - 'Sarvadharma Sambhav' (equal respect to all religions) is the Congress ideology. But, you have to understand that every political party has its own freedom to tell their views," he said. "We are respecting everybody's beliefs," the Congress leader said.

While Venugopal harped on freedom of expression Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son and Karnataka MLA Priyank Kharge supported Stalin's claims. Kharge said any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and "is as good as a disease". "Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that doesn't ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion, according to me.

So it is as good as a disease," Priyank Kharge said. "Congress believes in the Constitution...We are equal in the eyes of God. BJP's own allies have disrespected Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman, they are nobody to distribute certificates of either nationalism or devotion," Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said Congress leader and former Union minister Karan Singh, however, termed the DMK leader's statement as "preposterous" and "most unfortunate".