Tamil Nadu
Sanatana Dharma Remarks Twisted By BJP, PM Modi Says Udhayanidhi Stalin After Being Blamed For Defeat Of Congress Party In 3 States
Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Addressing a party programme in Karur on 3 December, Udhayanidhi Stalin stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won in three states, i.e., Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had twisted his remarks on Sanatana Dharma, magnified it and made the whole country talk about it, stated a report by ANI.
Equating Sanatana Dharma to diseases like dengue and malaria, Udhayanidhi had called for its eradication.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which campaigning for the elections in Madhya Pradesh, brought up my speech and spoke about me. He said I had called for genocide (of followers of Sanatan Dharma). He accused me of saying things that I did not."
"I was attending a conference (in Chennai) and spoke only for three minutes. All that I said was that everyone should be treated equally and not be discriminated against, and, that any attempts at discrimination must be eradicated. But they (BJP) twisted my comment, magnified it and made the whole country talk about me," he said.
In the days following his remarks, he refused to apologise.
Udhayanidhi's remarks assume significance as his call to eradicate Sanatana Dharma was strongly criticised and is said to have played a role in the defeat of the Congress in the three states.
According to a report by Times Now, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam and political commentator Tehseen Poonawalla stated that going against Sanatana Dharma had cost the party.
In a post on X, former Indian cricketer, Venkatesh Prasad wrote, "Abusing Sanatana Dharma was bound to have its consequences."
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
