Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and son of Chief Minister MK Stalin Monday said that he was condemning the caste differences and will repeat whatever he said about the “Sanatana Dharma” again and again.
“Day before yesterday I spoke at a function about it (Sanatana Dharma). Whatever I said, I’ll repeat the same thing again and again…I included all the religions and not just Hindus…I spoke condemning the caste differences that’s all…”, new sagency ANI quoted the DMK leader as saying in Thoothukudi.
Stalin had Saturday equated “Sanatana Dharma” with “mosquitoes, dengue, malaria and corona” and called for its eradication. His remarks created a massive political controversy with Tamil Nadu BJP accused him “calling for the genocide of 80 per cent of India’s population”.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association in Chennai, Udhayanidhi said, “Few things cannot be opposed, they should be eradicated. We can’t oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria or corona, we have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana (Sanatan Dharma), rather than opposing it.”
Reacting to his remarks, BJP national president JP Nadda said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Mohabbat Ki Dukan” was spreading hatred against “Sanatan Dharma” and asked if Udhayanidhi’s statement was part of INDIA bloc’s political strategy.
“Are you going to use this anti-Hindu strategy in the upcoming elections? You have proved multiple times that you hate everything related to our country and your ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan is spreading hate,” Nadda said while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Chitrakoot.
While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is yet to react on the issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also part of the INDIA alliance, Monday said that he should respect all the religions.
“As far as the remarks (of Udhayanidhi Stalin) is concerned, he is a junior. From my side, I am not clear about why and on what grounds he has made the comment. I feel that each and every religion should be equally respected,” the West Bengal CM said.