Sanatana talk: INDIA in BJP crosshairs

NEW DELHI: The row over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remark escalated on Monday with the senior BJP leaders and Union ministers intensifying its attack against the opposition bloc INDIA, asking it if the recent Mumbai meeting was to target the Hindu religion and the Congress saying it respects all religions but others have the freedom to express their views.

In his address at a meeting in Chennai on Saturday, DMK leader and minister Udhayanidhi likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed.

While AICC general secretary KC Venugopal asserted that the party ideology of respecting all religions was very clear, some Congress leaders expressed different views with Karan Singh condemning Udhay. Attacking INDIA bloc, BJP questioned the silence of its leaders and accused the alliance of being against the Hindu religion.

Also, a petition was filed by Muzaffarpur-based advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha before a court in Bihar against CM Stalin and his son Udayanidhi, under IPC sections, alleging the remarks have hurt Hindu sentiments.

Terming the DMK leader’s statement as “preposterous” and “most unfortunate”, former Union minister Karan Singh said, “Crores of people in this country follow, to a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma.

Besides, the greatest Sanatan Dharma temples in the world are in Tamil Nadu -- in Thanjavur, in Srirangam, in Thiruvannamalai, in Chidambaram, in Madurai, in Suchindram, in Rameshwaram and many more.

It is shocking a responsible politician should make this kind of a totally unacceptable statement,” Singh said in a statement. Several Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Prahlad Patel, Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur took on the opposition alliance and asked it not to play with Hindu sentiments.

Singh hit out at the opposition over the comments, wondering why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot are “silent” on the issue. “INDIA bloc members should apologise or the country won’t forgive them,” he said.

“What Udhayanidhi said is shocking and shameful”, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, noting the son of CM has repeated his remarks.

MUZAFFARPUR (BIHAR): A petition was filed before a court in Bihar on Monday against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin over the latter’s controversial remarks against Sanatan Dharma.

Muzaffarpur-based advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed the petition before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Lal alleging that the remarks have hurt Hindu sentiments. Ojha, who remains in the news for his petitions against political bigwigs and other celebrities, has sought the trial of the Tamil Nadu CM and his son, who is also a cabinet minister, under sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The matter has been posted for hearing on September 14. DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had alleged on Saturday that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and had likened it to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes.

His remarks evoked sharp reactions from the BJP across the country, with some leaders alleging that it was a call for genocide and others demanding that Udhayanidhi be booked for treason.

Udhayanidhi rubbished the genocidal claim and said his speech was a pointer to social evils.