Last Updated: September 03, 2023, 11:08 IST
Acharya Satyendra Das (L) and Udhayanidhi Stalin (R).
Acharya Satyendra Das said, “Sanatana Dharma’ cannot be eradicated ever at any cost. ‘Sanatana Dharma’ has existed for centuries and will remain so
Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday sparked a massive political row after his controversial comments on ‘ending Sanatan Dharma.” Reacting to his remarks, Ram Janmabhoomi chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said that the leader does not understand the meaning of Sanatan Dharma.
Talking to ANI, Acharya Satyendra Das said, “Sanatana Dharma’ cannot be eradicated ever at any cost. ‘Sanatana Dharma’ has existed for centuries and will remain so. He (Udhayanidhi Stalin) does not understand the real meaning of ‘Sanatana Dharma’, whatever he is saying is absolutely wrong.”
#WATCH | On Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s ‘Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated’ remark, Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi says “…’Sanatana Dharma’ cannot be eradicated at any cost. ‘Sanatana Dharma’ has existed for centuries and will remain so.… pic.twitter.com/t04qMDlpVO— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2023
Highlighting the values and realms of Sanatan Dharma, which is practised by a majority of the population in India, Acharya Das said this dharma is about good deeds & values and every human follows it in one way or the other.
“If you look after your parents, it is Sanatan Dharma, if you take care of your children and family, that too is Sanatan Dharma and nobody is untouched by the values of this dharma. He can never end the idea of ‘Sanatan,’ Acharya Das added.
What did Udhayanidhi Stalin say about Sanatan Dharma
The controversy erupted on September 2 at the ‘Sanatana Abolition Conference’ where Udhayanidhi was invited as a guest speaker. Addressing the audience, he said, “There are some things which we have to eradicate and we can’t merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, corona, all these are things that we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this.”
“I thank the organisers for giving me the opportunity to speak at this conference to eradicate Sanatana Dharma. I congratulate the organisers for calling the conference as ‘eradicate Sanatana Dharma’ instead of ‘opposing Sanatana Dharma,” the Tamil politician could be heard saying in a now-viral video.
Political Reactions
Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi’s controversial statements were met with mixed political reactions as the BJP lambasted MK Stalin’s son for his “Anti-Santan” mindset while the Tamil leader found a supporter in Congress’ Karti Chidambaram.
The BJP tore into Udhayanidhi and accused him of making “genocidal calls” against the followers of Sanatan Dharma on the Tamilian land. Hitting out at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said that Udhayanidhi was “calling for the genocide of 80 per cent of the population”.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai lashed out at the DMK leader and said that the Stalin family’s idealogue has “bought-out idea from Christian missionaries”
Meanwhile, Karti P Chidambaram, however, seems to support Udhayanidhi. He said that in common parlance of Tamil Nadu, “Sanathana Dharma means Caste Hierarchical Society”.
“Why is it that everyone who is batting for Sanathan Dharma comes from the privileged segment who are beneficiaries of the hierarchy? There was no call for ‘genocide’ against anyone, this is a mischievous spin,” Karti said.
Udhayanidhi’s reaction to controversy
On the other hand, the DMK leader has refused to apologise for his statements adding that he has not made any genocidal calls and opposes Sanatan Dharma only because it triggers caste-divide in India. The minister said he is ready to face legal challenges for his remarks.
“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 honourable CM,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).