CHENNAI: Amid the persistent war of words and political outcry over Tamil Nadu Udhayanidhi Stalin’s rant against Sanatan Dharma, equating it with malaria, dengue and corona, the BJP state president K Annamalai on Tuesday shared a video clip of DMK MP A Raja in which he is purportedly heard labelling Hinduism as a “menace to India and the world”.
The BJP state president tagged the clip with a post that read, “DMK MP A Raja calls Hindu Religion a menace to India and the world. DMK is the principal reason for creating caste divide and hatred in Tamil Nadu, and the DMK MP has the audacity to blame Sanatana Dharma for the mess they made.”
https://x.com/annamalai_k/status/1701522755102122461?s=20
Further, in the clip shared by Annamalai, the DMK leader and former Union minister purportedly says, “India is the source of the global malaise, which is spread through dividing the society and the people on the lines of caste. Some Indians settled abroad also promote caste divisions in the name of Hinduism. So, Hinduism is a menace not just for India but the entire world.”
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Union minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, tore into the Opposition alliance — INDIA — amid the row over Udhayanidhi’s rant, claiming that the bloc was formed to “oppose” and “finish” Sanatan Dharma.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in the national capital, the BJP leader accused the Opposition alliance of vote bank politics.
“Their hidden agenda is to indulge in vote bank politics by opposing Sanatana Dharma. I would like the Congress and the Opposition alliance — do they have the right to mock or show deities of some other faith in a negative light? Do they have the courage to do so? Can they do it? They are silent on other religions but don’t hesitate to target Santan openly,” Prasad said.
Speaking at a conference in Chennai earlier, Udhayanidhi, the minister for Sports and Youth Affairs in the Tamil Nadu government, railed against Santan Dharma, saying it should be eradicated and not merely opposed.
Taking a strong exception to his comments, BJP leaders and seers demanded that he take back his words and issue an apology. (ANI)