TUTICORIN: Unfazed by the widespread opposition to his anti-Sanatana Dharma stand, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday said he spoke about "eradicating" certain practices in the faith and that he would continue to raise his voice against them.
He said he didn't speak about just the Hindu faith but about all those that do so.
"I will again and again talk on the issue that I spoke at the event on Saturday. I will speak more. I told that day itself that I am going to talk about the issue which is going to irritate many and that is what has happened," he told reporters here.
Sanatan Dharma meant it was permanent and cannot be changed, he claimed.
"Women were confined indoors but they have come out. They said women cannot get education, only Dravidam (the DMK's ideology) gave them education.
Even the breakfast scheme (in Tamil Nadu) is to ensure more children, especially girls, get education," Udhayanidhi said.
"Sanatanam (as pronounced in Tamil) enslaved women," he said adding there once used to be the practice of Sati in which widows sacrificed their lives by jumping into their husbands' funeral pyre.
"These are all Sanatanam. This is what I stressed upon on eradicating. I will continue to say so," he added.
He also said he was unfazed by any threats to his life over the issue.
The DMK leader's remarks that Sanatana Dharma must be "eradicated" created a furore across the country with the BJP and Hindu right-wing groups taking strong exception to the views.
Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh among others had hit out at the DMK leader for his comments.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said no one should be involved in any matter that might hurt people.
Every religion has separate sentiments and India is about unity in diversity, she said.