JAIPUR/NEW DELHI/CHENNAI : BJP leaders on Sunday took aim at Tamil Nadu sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, accusing him of “insulting Sanatana Dharma,” and used the opportunity to target the INDIA alliance, of which DMK is a part. While the BJP’s TN unit wrote to the governor seeking action against the DMK youth wing chief, an activist filed a police complaint against him in Delhi.
Union home minister Amit Shah, speaking at a Rajasthan rally, lashed out at the INDIA alliance and accused the DMK and its ally, the Congress, of insulting Sanatana Dharma for vote bank politics. At an event on Saturday, Udhayanidhi said Sanatana Dharma is against social justice. Comparing it to dengue, mosquitoes and Corona, he said a few things cannot be merely opposed but must be eradicated. On Sunday, he said he stood by his remarks, clarifying on X (formerly Twitter) that he had not called for genocide against anyone as alleged by BJP’s Amit Malviya.
Shah slammed the minister, son of TN chief minister MK Stalin, and alleged that his remarks indicated the Opposition INDIA bloc “hates Hinduism” and is “an assault on our heritage”. He attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming Rahul had earlier termed Hindu organisations as ‘more dangerous’ than Lashkar-e-Taiba. “For the last two days INDIA alliance is insulting Sanatana Dharma.
Leaders of DMK and Congress are talking about ending Sanatana Dharma just for vote bank politics. This is not the first time they have insulted our Sanatana Dharma. Before this, Manmohan Singh also said the first right on the budget is for the minorities, but we say that the first right is for the poor, tribals, Dalits and backwards. Today, the Congress says that if Modi ji will win, Sanatana will rule.”
BJP president J P Nadda in Bhopal too urged the people to reject the opposition grouping, which is spreading “hatred, poison and attacking the country’s culture and tradition”. For his part, Udhayanidhi said on X that he is willing to confront any challenges or consequences that might come his way.