Sanatan Dharma row: Himanta Biswa Sarma won't condemn Udhayanidhi Stalin's statement, here's WHY

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Rahul Gandhi. He has to make a decision whether he respects Sanatan Dharma or not. If he does not take any action and does not snap his alliance with the DMK, then people will believe that these people are anti-Hindu, they do not like Sanatan, Hindu religion," Hindustan Times quoted Himanta as saying.

"Now I don't want to join the debate about whether Sanatan is good or bad. It was there since 5,000 years ago and it will remain in India till the sun and moon are there," Himanta said. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi said Sanatan Dharma is like dengue, malaria which should be eradicated as merely opposing it won't solve the problem.

ALSO READ: ‘Let Sanatan Dharma fall, Dravidam win’: Udhayanidhi Stalin's remark faces BJP's scorn, Congress distances from DMK He even compared Sanatan Dharma's practice like Sati with Dravidian principles and said, “What did Sanatan do to women? It pushed women, who lost their husbands, into fire (the erstwhile practice of Sati), it tonsured the heads of widows and made them wear white saris. Child marriages too happened." As his statement triggered a massive row with the BJP calling INDIA leaders anti-Hindu, Udhayanidhi stood by what he said. "I am ready to present the extensive writings of Periyar and Ambedkar, who conducted in-depth research on Sanatan Dharma and its negative impact on society in any forum.

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," the former actor said. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram had said, “Sanathana Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are