Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Sanatan Dharma Remark: INDIA Parties React Amid Row – News18

Amid the controversy over Tamil Nadu minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatan Dharma, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) – the Opposition alliance DMK is a part of – parties’ reactions ranged from support to distancing from it.

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Likening “Sanatana Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes”, Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, said it is against equality and social justice and it should be eradicated. “Such things should not be opposed, but destroyed”.

Udhayanidhi referred to Sanatan Dharma as ‘Sanatanam’ in his address in Tamil at a meet of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association on Saturday. He lauded the organisers for picking the theme of “Sanatan elimination” rather than choosing “opposition to Sanatan”. Udhayanidhi said, “What is Sanatanam? The very name is only from Sanskrit. Sanatan is against equality and social justice and nothing else. It is eternal, that is, it cannot be changed; no one could pose any question and that is the meaning. Sanatan divided people on the basis of caste.”

“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…What did the Dravidam (the Dravidian ideology followed by DMK regime) do? It gave fare-free travel for women in buses, gave Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to girl students for their college education…” he said.

• CONGRESS
  While Congress’s Karti Chidambaram supported Udhayanidhi, Chhattisgarh deputy CM TS Singhdeo said, “Sanatana Dharma is an established way of life and a religious expression. It should be respected completely.” Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole said: “The Congress’s stand is clear. We don’t want to comment on any religion or hurt anyone’s sentiments.” Kamal Nath, however, said he did not agree with Udhayanidhi.
• SHIV SENA (UBT)
  Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, said, “Anyone making derogatory comments against it is ignorant of what it stands for.”
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• AAP
  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh said, “We don’t need to learn what Hindu religion is from Amit Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
• CPIM
  Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) leader D Raja showed his support for Udhayanidhi, saying “there was nothing wrong in his statement”.
• RJD
  Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mritunjay Tiwari said, “The BJP does politics in the name of Sanatan and the person who gave such a statement should apologise to all Sanatanis.”

With agency inputs​