On Sunday (3 September), Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde strongly criticised Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), alleging that Uddhav Thackeray indirectly endorsed Udhayanidhi Stalin's anti-Hindu comments by remaining silent on the issue and by hosting DMK leaders.
He challenged him to denounce DMK leader's statements publicly and said that otherwise it will be inferred that he endorses the hateful rhetoric against Hinduism.
Shinde took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disapproval of Uddhav Thackeray's lack of response, stating that he firmly believes that the revered Balasaheb Thackeray, known as the 'Hindu Hriday Samrat,' would have shown distress and instructed Shiv Sainiks to denounce such anti-Hindu sentiments.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, who serves as a minister in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government and is the son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, made a statement on Saturday (2 September) that has received strong backlash.
He said that Sanatana Dharma is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated and not merely opposed.
In a video clip of his speech circulating on X (formerly Twitter), he can be heard expressing gratitude to the event organizers for allowing him to address the conference dedicated to the eradication of Sanatana Dharma.
His comments faced strong criticism from Hindu organisations as well as the BJP, which labeled them as a "call for genocide."
Following the backlash, Udhayanidhi responded by accusing the BJP of distorting his statement.
On X (formerly Twitter), Udhayanidhi, however, reiterated his intention to "eliminate" Sanatana Dharma and declared that he would continue to advocate for the same.
"I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma."
"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 said.
Comments ↓
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.
The embedded tweet could not be found…
The embedded tweet could not be found…