Amidst brewing controversy, Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has once again reiterated the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) stand on Sanatana Dharma. He said that the party was founded to eradicate Sanatana Dharma and is ready to even put its power at stake for its ideology. Udhayanidhi made these comments in response to questions from the press after the inaugural session of the DMK’s Sports Development Wing on Saturday, September 9.
Responding to whether a minister can be a part of a conclave organised against Sanatana Dharma, Udhayanidhi said that his party was founded to oppose this (Sanatana Dharma). “We do not care about power but we will stand together for our (Dravidian) ideology,” he said.
Udhayanidhi also responded to the announcement by an Ayodhya seer who promised Rs 10 crore for beheading him and said that it was funny to see how the demand (for his head) has increased. While emphasising his stand on Santana Dharma, he said, “I did not say anything that Ambedkar, Periyar, or C Annadurai hadn’t already said.”
Udhayanidhi asked what AIADMK’s stand on the matter is. “Leave the Bharatiya Janata Party out of this as it spins fake news all the time. My question is what the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (AIADMK) thinks about Sanatana Dharma. The party is named after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Annadurai who vehemently opposed and criticised Sanata Dharma,” he noted.
Udhyanidhi Stalin’s speech on Sanatana Dharma triggered controversy in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape after his remarks at a Sanatanam (Sanatan Dharma) Abolition Conclave organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum on September 2 went viral. Udayanidhi said, "I congratulate the organisers for calling the conference 'eradication of Santana dharma' instead of 'opposing Sanatana Dharma'... There are certain things which we have to eradicate and we cannot merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue, corona, and malaria are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this. Eradication and not opposing Sanatanam has to be our first task.”
It is to be noted that a group of senior leaders from the Tamil Nadu BJP unit had met Governor RN Ravi on September 7 and submitted a memorandum asking Ravi to intervene and ensure that a case is booked against Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatana. They also demanded action against Udhayanidhi who is a sitting minister, for participating and speaking at an anti-Sanatana conference, pointing out that it is a violation of the oath of office.
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