Udhayanidhi Stalin stands firm on 'sanatana dharma' remarks despite High Court criticism

Chennai: Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin has maintained his stance on 'Sanatana Dharma' after the Madras High Court criticised the police for not taking action against him and PK Sekar Babu regarding their comments.

The High Court emphasised that no individual has the right to promote divisive ideas or the abolition of any ideology.

Previously, Udhayanidhi Stalin had likened 'Sanatana Dharma' to "dengue" and "malaria." He defended his statements, stating that he had not said anything wrong and was prepared to face legal consequences for his words.

Stalin explained, "I haven't said anything wrong. What I said was right, and I will face it legally... I will not change my statement. I have expressed my ideology. I haven't said more than what Ambedkar, Periyar, or Thirumavalavan had said. I may be an MLA, a Minister, or a Youth Wing Secretary today, but tomorrow, I may not. However, being a human is more important."

He also reaffirmed his position on opposing 'Sanatana,' stating, "We've been speaking about Sanatana for several years, while NEET is a six-year-old issue. It (Sanatana) is a several hundred years old issue, and we shall oppose it forever."

In September, Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the eradication of 'Sanatana Dharma,' emphasising that it was "against social justice and equality."

He stated, "Some things cannot be opposed; they should be eradicated. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or coronavirus. We have to eradicate them. That's how we have to eradicate Sanatana."

"Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated. The name Sanatana is from Sanskrit. It is against social justice and equality," said Stalin, who holds the position of Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development in the ruling DMK government.

His comments drew sharp criticism from the ruling BJP, with the party's IT cell head Amit Malviya likening Stalin's statement to Hitler's views about Jews.