"Will Repeat Again And Again": Udhayanidhi Stalin On 'Sanatana Dharma' Comments
After his comments on “Sanatana Dharma” caused big uproar in Tamil Nadu and outside the state, minister and actor Udhayanidhi Stalin asserted today that he will repeat the statement “again and again”. Nonetheless, the Maamannan actor said his comments were on the caste differences in the country.
“Day before yesterday I spoke at a function about it (“Sanatana Dharma“). Whatever I said… I will repeat the same thing again and again. I included all the religions and not just Hinduism… I spoke condemning the caste differences, that is all,” NDTV quoted him as saying.
Stalin Junior’s comments, that were made two days ago at a writers” conference in Chennai, has refused to die down, as the ruling BJP and its ministers, including home minister Amit Shah, continue to attack the Opposition INDIA bloc. The home minister has said the comments were made for the purpose of votebank appeasement and they have insulted ‘Sanatan Dharma’.
“Rahul Gandhi speaks of “mohabbat ki dukaan” but Congress ally DMK”s scion talks about eradicating Sanatana Dharma. Congress”s silence is support for this genocidal call. INDIA Alliance, true to its name, if given an opportunity, will annihilate the millennia-old civilisation that is Bharat,” BJP”s Amit Malviya posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Read: “He (Udhayanidhi Stalin) Is A Junior”: Mamata Banerjee On ‘Sanatana Dharma’ Comment
The latest BJP leader to comment on the issue is Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and he blamed the Congress and Rahul Gandhi for the row. “I don”t have much problem with Stalin. I have a problem with Congress…I want to ask them (Congress) if tomorrow I give such a statement about Muslims or Christians, will Congress consider it my freedom of speech?… Be it Hinduism, Islam or Christianity, why are you talking about ending them? This is not right. The main culprit for this is Congress MP Rahul Gandhi…,” he said in a video posted on X by news agency ANI.
Amid BJP and its alliance partners criticised the actor-politician, when asked about the row, Congress general secretary in charge of political affairs and senior leader KC Venugopal had said that all need to respect all religions, and said every political party “has the freedom to their views”. Mr Venugopal said Congress “respects everybody’s beliefs.”
The Congress leader said the party’s view is clear and ‘Sarva Dharma Samabhava’ is the Congress ideology.
However, Stalin Junior stood firm on his words earlier as well, and said he spoke on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized, who suffer due to the “Sanatan Dharma”.
“Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality. 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,” he said in an X post when responding to an allegation made by BJP IT wing in-charge saying the young politician called “for genocide of 80% population of Bharat”.
“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. I am prepared to confront any challenges that come my way, whether in a court of law or the people’s court. Stop spreading fake news,” Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin said.
