Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he does not want to condemn Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his Sanatan Dharma statement as he has only exposed himself by making the statement. "The question is whether Congress will be still in alliance with the DMK. I have seen the statement of Karti Chidambaram as well, and also a statement somewhat similar from Mallikarjun Kharge. The question is whether the Congress will expel Karti Chidambaram from the party. This is a test for Rahul Gandhi. He has to make a decision whether he respects Sanatan Dharma or not. If he does not take any action and does not snap his alliance with the DMK, then people will believe that these people are anti-Hindu, they do not like Sanatan, Hindu religion," Himanta said.
"Now I don't want to join the debate about whether Sanatan is good or bad. It was there since 5,000 years ago and it will remain in India till the sun and moon are there," Himanta said.
What is the row over Udhayanidhi's statement?
Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi said Sanatan Dharma is like dengue, malaria which should be eradicated as merely opposing it won't solve the problem. He compared Sanatan Dharma's practice like Sati with Dravidian principles and said, "What did Sanatan do to women? It pushed women, who lost their husbands, into fire (the erstwhile practice of Sati), it tonsured the heads of widows and made them wear white saris. Child marriages too happened."
{{/usCountry}}Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi said Sanatan Dharma is like dengue, malaria which should be eradicated as merely opposing it won't solve the problem. He compared Sanatan Dharma's practice like Sati with Dravidian principles and said, "What did Sanatan do to women? It pushed women, who lost their husbands, into fire (the erstwhile practice of Sati), it tonsured the heads of widows and made them wear white saris. Child marriages too happened."
{{/usCountry}}As his statement triggered a massive row with the BJP calling INDIA leaders -- since DMK is part of the opposition alliance -- anti-Hindu, Udhayanidhi stood by what he said. "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. Let me reiterate the crucial aspect of my speech: I believe, like the spread of diseases like COVID-19, Dengue, and Malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils," the former actor said.
What Karti Chidambaram said
As Himanta mentioned Karti Chidambaram, here is what the Congress MP said. "Sanathana Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are hankering for the Good Ole Days! Caste is the Curse of India. In the common parlance of TN “ Sanathana Dharma” means Caste Hierarchical Society. Why is that everyone who is batting for “SD” 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.
What Mallikarjun Kharge said on Sanatan
The BJP dug out an old video of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge saying that if PM Modi is strengthened, then Sanatan Dharma and RSS will reign in the country. "Clearly, Abolition & termination of Sanatan is an agenda of the INDI alliance as a whole. No wonder Uddhav & Rahul have not condemned the statement yet," Shehzad Poonawalla said sharing the video.