Sanatana Dharma Row: How Stalin Jr's remark sparked a political storm ahead of the 2024 elections
Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, on September 2 called for eradicating the Sanatanaa (meaning Hindu) Dharma, alleging that it is against equality and social justice.
While taking a dig at the saffron party's 'Hindu Rashtra' ambitions, the DMK youth wing secretary compared the Dharma with coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes.
Udhayanidhi, son of Chief Minister M K Stalin, referred to Sanatanaa Dharma as 'Sanatanaam' in his address in Tamil at a meet of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association on Saturday (September 2, 2023).
He lauded the organisers for picking the theme of «Sanatana elimination» rather than choosing «opposition to Sanatana.»
«What is Sanatanaam? The very name is only from Sanskrit. Sanatana is against equality and social justice and nothing else. What is the meaning of Sanatana? It is eternal, that is, it cannot be changed; no one could pose any question and that is the meaning.» Sanatana divided people on the basis of caste, he alleged.
Tamil Nadu minister Stalin Jr’s comments on Sanatana Dharma triggers rebuke across South
The remarks gave birth to a big political controversy. The members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) showed their displeasure with the idea. Questions have also been raised on the opposition bloc, INDIA, and its objectives for the 2024 assembly polls.
BJP shows displeasure
Union home minister and BJP leader, Amit Shah, on September 3 flagged the issue and accused DMK and Congress of talking about ending «Sanatanaa Dharma», while hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for «comparing Hindu organisations with proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba».
Hitting back at the DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin over his
