BJP brands INDIA as 'anti-Hindu'

New Delhi: The row over Udhayanidhi Stalin's "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark escalated on Monday with the senior BJP leaders and Union ministers intensifying its attack against the Opposition bloc INDIA, asking it if the recent Mumbai meeting was to target the Hindu religion and the Congress saying that it respects all religions but others have the freedom to express their views.

In his address at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai on Saturday, DMK leader Udhayanidhi likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed.

While AICC general secretary K C Venugopal asserted that the party ideology of respecting all religions was very clear, some other Congress leaders expressed different views with Karan Singh condemning Udhayanidhi’s comments. Attacking the opposition bloc INDIA, the BJP questioned the silence of its leaders on the issue and accused the alliance of being against the Hindu religion.

Also, a petition was filed by Muzaffarpur-based advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha before a court in Bihar against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi, alleging that the remarks have hurt Hindu sentiments.

Ojha, known for his petitions against political bigwigs and other celebrities, has sought the trial of the Tamil Nadu CM and his son, who is also a Cabinet minister, under sections of the Indian Penal Code. The matter has been posted for hearing on September 14.

Responding to a query on the row at a press conference here, Venugopal said while the Congress’ stand is clear, every other political party has the freedom to express its own view.

“Actually, our view is very clear - ‘Sarvadharma Sambhav’ (equal respect to all religions) is the Congress ideology. But you have to understand that every political party has its own freedom to tell their views,” he said. “We are respecting everybody’s beliefs,” the Congress leader said.

Reacting to the controversy, Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and “is as good as a disease”. “Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that doesn’t ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion, according to me. So, it is as good as a disease,” Priyank, who is the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said.

Terming the DMK leader’s statement as “preposterous” and “most unfortunate”, former Union minister Karan Singh said, “Thiru Udhayanidhi’s preposterous statement that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated is most unfortunate. Crores of people in this country follow, to a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma.” “Besides, the greatest Sanatan Dharma temples in the world are in Tamil Nadu - in Thanjavur, in Srirangam, in Thiruvannamalai, in Chidambaram, in Madurai, in Suchindram, in Rameshwaram and many more. It is shocking that a responsible politician should make this kind of a totally unacceptable statement. I have the highest regard for the magnificent Tamil culture, but I take strong objection to the statement made by Thiru Udhayanidhi,” Singh said in a statement.

Several Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Prahlad Patel, Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur took on the opposition alliance and asked it not to play with Hindu sentiments. Singh hit out at the opposition over the comments, wondering why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot are “silent” on the issue.

Addressing a public meeting at Ramdevra in Jaisalmer on the launch of the third round of the BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in Rajasthan, Singh said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a part of the INDIA bloc, has hurt Sanatan Dharma and the Congress leaders are “silent” on the issue.