The Sanatana Dharma controversy continues to dominate the news cycle, at least on English news channels. Liberally sustained by continued statements of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders, the controversy has put the INDIA bloc in a quandary as the Bharatiya Janata Party is leveraging the issue to the hilt, hoping to increase its electoral prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections and later the Lok Sabha polls. But the man at the centre of the storm, Udhayanidhi Stalin, despite being disparaged by political friends and foes, seems to be benefiting from it.
For anyone who has observed Tamil Nadu politics, it is apparent that what Udhayanidhi said is not new. Combating Sanatana Dharma and Brahmanism has been at the very core of Dravidian politics and over the last few decades, many leaders have made statements expressing this. DMK leader A Raja had even referred to the Hindu religion as a menace. In 2019, DMK ally VCK chief Thirumavalavan had said Sanatana Dharma had to be destroyed to save the country.
But never have they created the kind of furore that Udhayanidhi did this time around. The BJP has amplified and even distorted his comments. But this episode has helped Udhayanidhi’s political capital grow both in Tamil Nadu and across the country. Journalist Kavitha Muralidharan says that by not backtracking despite the pressure, Udhayanidhi has shown conviction. “He has not backed down. But more importantly, he continues to speak about the issue, either by making press statements or by just sharing memes on his social media. He continues to make his thoughts public and now he is being taken more seriously,” Kavitha says.
Udhayanidhi is a first-time MLA from Chepauk Assembly constituency and has been made a minister for the first time too.
A day after his comments on comparing Sanatana Dharma to dengue, malaria, and covid went viral, when asked if he would apologise for them, he went on the offensive and said that he will continue speaking against social injustice. His party and his father, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin, have firmly stood by him. Allies from the INDIA bloc including Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena have criticised Udhayanidhi’s comments. Meanwhile, the Congress has seen a mixed response. Leaders from the south like Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge and Tamil Nadu MP Karthi Chidambaram have defended Udhayanidhi, other Congress leaders from northern states have disowned the same.
Senior journalist Neeta Kolhatkar says that DMK’s ally Congress too should have not tried too hard to explain and justify their stand on the issue and should have stood by Udhayanidhi. “Before this, he was known only as Stalin’s son but now he has made headlines across the country. And when you stand by what you say, it adds to his merit. This episode shows his own merit and it has added to his stature.”
A Congress leader from Maharashtra said that the Congress has taken a ‘centrist’ position on most issues publicly and many times, they cannot stand by such comments, even if they agree with it. “We have to protect our chances of winning elections across the country. So we have to distance ourselves from the comments. But this has certainly helped DMK consolidate their votebase in Tamil Nadu. Udhayanidhi too has become popular now among many sections across the country. While this may not directly help him in elections, he has the backing of people in states where political leaders worry about backlash for expressing strong opposition against caste hierarchy, superstitions, and orthodoxy.”