Udhayanidhi Stalin's ‘Sanatan Dharma’ remark row: Never called for genocide of people who follow it
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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udayanidhi Stalin, who faced flak over his call for "eradication" of 'Sanatan Dharma', on Sunday said that he stood by his remarks and clarified that they were just criticism, also adding that he was ready to face “any legal challenge”.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Udayanidhi Stalin, who is also the son of Chief Minister and DMK chief M.K. Stalin, said that he would continuously say that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated but never called for the genocide of people who follow Santan Dharma.
He said that the Sanatan Dharma was something that is permanent and not subject to change, while Dravida ideology propagates change and that everyone is equal in the Dravidian concept.
“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 stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma”, Udayanidhi Stalin wrote on social media platform X.
He, however, added that some people were childish in stating that he had called for genocide of people believing in Sanatan Dharma, considered a central concept in Hinduism.
Udhayanidhi Stalin said that some people were saying that Dravidam should be abolished and questioned whether that meant DMK workers be killed.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi regularly calls for 'Congress Mukt Bharat' but it does not mean that all Congress leaders are to be killed.
He accused the BJP of twisting facts and spreading lies "which was their regular habit".
The young scion of the Karunanidhi family also said that the BJP was afraid of the INDIA alliance and was trying to divert the issue and spread a false narrative.
Udhayanidhi Stalin also said that he was ready to face any consequences by the BJP and saffron combine and that he cannot be cowed down by threats and intimidation.
“I believe, like the spread of diseases like COVID-19, Dengue, and Malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils”, he had said in his speech during a writer’s conference in Chennai, organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association, on the theme of ‘eradication of Sanatana’ on Saturday.
His remarks had sparked a political row with the BJP slamming the Minister and many Hindu religious leaders demanding an apology for him.
Also Read: MK Stalin’s son wants Sanatana Dharma to be ‘eradicated’, BJP reacts
