Stalin slams BJP ploy on Udhay

CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday threw his weight behind son Udhayanidhi and criticised PM Modi and other BJP leaders for raising the Sanatana Dharma issue “based on lies”.

Explaining his party’s position on Sanatana Dharma and clarifying its stand vis-a-vis Udhayanidhi’s statement, Stalin, in an elaborate statement on Thursday, said, “Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed certain comments about inhuman principles preached by Sanatana Dharma.

He expressed his views on Sanatana principles that discriminate against scheduled castes, tribals and women with no intention to offend any religion or religious beliefs.”

Accusing “some people” of propagating caste discrimination, emphasizing social stratification based on Varnashrama principles and citing sastras and other ancient texts to support their sectarian claims even as the country launched Chandrayaan to the Moon,

Stalin said Udhayanidhi only spoke out against such oppressive ideologies and called to eradicate the practices based on those ideologies.

Charging the pro-BJP forces with spreading a false narrative that Udhayanidhi called for genocide of Sanatanic people, the CM asserted that his minister-son never used the word genocide in either Tamil or English.

Stating that responsible union ministers of the BJP must have checked Udhay’s speech before commenting on him and sharing lies, the CM said the ministers did not retract their statements even after Udhayanidhi’s denial.

Describing as ‘disheartening’ the reported statement of the PM calling for a proper response to Udhay’s speech, Stalin said, “The Prime Minister has access to all the resources to verify any claim or report.

So, is the PM speaking unaware of the lies spread about Udhayanidhi, or does he do so knowingly?”

Recalling the PM’s recent speech in the Parliament about his cabinet colleague EV Velu, Stalin said, “It raises questions about whether the PM, who has failed to fulfil any of his promises, is attempting to divert attention by invoking Sanatana.

Neither the PM nor his ministers have replied on Manipur or the Rs 7.50 lakh crore worth of irregularities highlighted in the CAG report. But they have convened the cabinet on Sanatana. Can these leaders protect the BCs, SCs, tribals and women?”

Reiterating that INDIA bloc rattled the BJP and PM, the CM said the BJP is not genuinely concerned about discriminatory practices in Sanatana but is rather desperate to create divisions within the opposition alliance.