NEW DELHI: DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma drew sharp reactions and condemnation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday.
The BJP intensified its attack, accusing him and other Opposition parties of spreading and indulging in “Sanatan hatred” for the sake of vote-bank politics.
In a video posted on X, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that despite the DMK’s electoral defeat in Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin had once again returned to what he “does best — insulting and spreading hatred against Sanatan”.
“He has now said in the Assembly that Sanatan should be exterminated. The last time he made similar remarks, even the Supreme Court had described those as hate speech,” Poonawalla said.
Poonawalla alleged that former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had not acted against his son over the earlier controversy and had instead promoted him as Deputy Chief Minister, while the Indian National Congress had also failed to condemn the remarks.
“Even after electoral setbacks and despite their anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan worldview being rejected by people, there is no learning. He continues to insult Sanatan even now,” he said.
In a blistering attack on Opposition leaders, Poonawalla further stated that Gaurav Gogoi, Mamata Banerjee and M. K. Stalin had suffered setbacks in the recently concluded Assembly elections, yet parties opposed to the BJP had still not changed their approach towards Sanatan Dharma.
Poonawalla also accused the Congress, Samajwadi Party, All India Trinamool Congress and the DMK of indulging in “Sanatan hate”.
Launching a frontal attack on the Opposition, he alleged: “Insulting Sanatan has become their political model and disrespecting Sanatan for vote-bank politics has become their identity. The people of Tamil Nadu will not forgive them”.
“This is not a coincidence, but an experiment in vote-bank politics,” Poonawalla alleged.
It may be recalled that in his maiden speech as Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin said the Opposition “will not permit” any attempt to sideline “Tamil Thai Vazhuthu” — the Tamil invocation song.
“Such an incident, which happened during your government’s swearing-in ceremony, was a mistake and you should not permit it to happen again in this Assembly. We will not permit it,” he said.
“Sanatan Dharma, which divides people, must certainly be abolished,” he further said.
In 2023, Udhayanidhi had sparked a major controversy with similar remarks on the Sanatana Dharma, for which he faced criticism and court cases from right wing organisations.