Thursday, May 16

After Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK’s A Raja Condemns Sanatana Dharma, Says “It Is Similar To HIV And Leprosy”

Edited by Meenu Mathew
After Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK's A Raja Condemn Sanatana Dharma, Said It Is Similar To HIV And Leprosy (Image: twitter.com/dmk_raja/status/)

Adding fuel to the raging Sanatana Dharma row, DMK’s Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister A Raja on Thursday called it a social stigma. He also compared it with HIV and leprosy, while attacking BJP’s accusation as Opposition reflects ‘Hinduphobia’.

“If Sanatan Dharma should be commented in disgusting terms; once upon a time the leprosy and recently the HIV had stigma and as far as we are concerned, it (Sanatan) should be regarded like HIV and leprosy that had social stigma’’, said Mr Raja at a public event in Tamil Nadu.

“There was no social stigma attached to malaria and dengue”, he added. Mr Raja is also the Deputy General Secretary of DMK.

His comments made the BJP leaders to accuse the opposition as,  “it’s [opposition] leaders are suffering from a deep-rooted Hinduphobia”, reported the news agency PTI.

“I am prepared to give answers for all cabinet ministers if the Prime Minister convenes the meeting and let them permit me. I will explain which one is ‘Sanatana Dharma’ thereafter you decide”, Mint quoted A Raja speaking on Wednesday.

Supporting Udayanidhi stalin, Mr Raja added that his [Udayanidhi Stalin’s] remarks were “mild and soft”. “If Sanatan Dharma should be commented in disgusting terms; once upon a time the leprosy and recently the HIV had stigma and as far as we are concerned, it (Sanatan) should be regarded like HIV and leprosy that had social stigma,”


It was recently, Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Udayanidhi Stalin’s statement on Sanatan Dharma stirred a controversy across the nation. In Hinduism, Sanatan Dharma by definition is used to denote the “eternal” or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus. Mr Stalin paralleled it with disease like malaria, dengue and corona, while addressing a conference organised by Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association on the theme of ‘eradication of Sanatana’ on Saturday.

Mr Stalin later clarified that his statement only criticises caste-based societal structures upheld by Sanatan Dharma, but not Hinduism as a whole.

On being asked about any such incident that has happened in the past he responded by saying that President Draupadi Murmu was not invited to the opening ceremony of the new parliament building is the best current example of discrimination.

“President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament building; that is the best current example,” he said then.

“Sanatan is a dangerous disease. It should be eradicated. Our younger brother [Udayanidhi Stalin] has come to lead this movement with such a conviction, what else does a movement need more than this?”, said A Raja A Raja at a meeting of party booth agents in Nilgiri on Thursday.

“If something needs eradication from Tamil Nadu, it is the DMK, attacked Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamali accusing DMK leaders on X (formerly Twitter). He also compared DMK with deadly diseases as abbreviating it to “D – Dengue M – Malaria K – Kosu”.

“Going forward, we are sure that people will associate these deadly diseases with DMK”, Mr Annamali added.


Eventhough DMK is a major party in the newly formed opposition bloc INDIA, Congress themselves secured a distance from the controversial statements. TN Chief Minister M K Stalin in the mean time accused the BJP of being ‘desperate’ to create divisions in the INDIA opposition bloc.

He defended son and minister Udayanidhi Stalin, as junior Stalin “didn’t call for ‘genocide’ as distorted by BJP, but only spoke against discrimination”. Reacting to PM Narendra Modi, who raised the issue in his Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, M K Stalin said that it was “disheartening to see the ‘responsible’ Hon’ble Prime Minister, Union Ministers and BJP Chief Ministers ignore facts and driven on fake narratives despite having all access and resources to verify the facts”.

The BJP has demanded an apology from the DMK leaders and has even claimed that an “anti-Sanatan” agenda was discussed during the opposition bloc meeting that was held in Mumbai this month.

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