Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin has said that he never called for the genocide of people who follow Sanatan Dharma.
The DMK leader, who is also the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, took to social media platform X to defend his comments made during a speech.
"Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality.
I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Stalin remarked that 'Sanatana Dharma should not just be opposed but completely eliminated' during a writers' conference in Chennai. "Sanatana is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated and not opposed," he said during a meeting.
After his remarks sparked a row he clarified Sanatana Dharma, considered a central concept in Hinduism, was is responsible for many social evils. "I am ready to present the extensive writings of Periyar and Ambedkar, who conducted in-depth research on Sanatan Dharma and its negative impact on society in any forum," he posted.
Soon after his speech made the headlines,
BJP leader Amit Malviya condemned Udayanidhi's remarks and slammed the Congress for sharing an alliance with DMK.
“Rahul Gandhi speaks of 'mohabbat ki dukaan' but Congress ally DMK's scion talks about eradicating Sanatana Dharma. Congress's silence is support for this genocidal call. INDIA Alliance, true to its name, if given an opportunity, will annihilate the millennia-old civilisation that is Bharat," Amit Malviya, chief of BJP's IT cell, posted on X.
Udayanidhi also said that he is ready to face any legal challenge for his remarks while responding to a post by the Legal rights Observatory.
"Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats. We, the followers of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, would fight forever to uphold social justice and establish an egalitarian society under the able guidance of our Hon'ble CM @mkstalin. I will say it today, tomorrow, and forever: Our resolve to stop Sanathana Dharma from the Dravidian land would not reduce even a bit."
