‘Hitler characterised Jews and Udhayanidhi Stalin…’: BJP amid ‘Sanatana Dharma' remark row

Udhayanidhi Stalin sparked a controversy last week by comparing Sanatana Dharma with “dengue, malaria” and said it needed to be "eradicated".

The row over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s “Sanatana Dharma” remarks has further intensified on Tuesday, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) compared the Tamil Nadu minister with German dictator Adolf Hitler. The saffron party claimed Udhayanidhi’s remarks called for the “genocide” of Sanatana Dharma followers, drawing its comparison with Hitler’s Nazi idelogy of hatred for Jews.

Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin speaks to the media on his statement on Sanatana Dharma, on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

“There is an eerie similarity between how Hitler characterised the Jews and Udhayanidhi Stalin described Sanatan Dharma. Like Hitler, Stalin Jr also demanded that Sanatan Dharma be eradicated…We know how Nazi hate culminated in Holocaust, killing approximately six million European Jews and at least another 5 million Soviet prisoners of war and other victims,” the BJP shared a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The party alleged Udhayanidhi’s remarks were “unadulterated hate speech and a call for genocide of 80% population of India, who follow Sanatan Dharma".

It also trained guns at the Opposition’s I.N.D.I.A or Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance for “supporting” its ally party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader’s view and said the country needed saving from the “hate politics” of I.N.D.I.A.

Udhayanidhi triggered a massive a political controversy on Saturday by comparing the Hindu religious belief ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to “dengue, malaria” and said it should be “eradicated” like these ailments.

Opposition divided

The remarks drew sharp criticism from the BJP and several Hindu religious saints. Several I.N.D.I.A leaders also condemned the view, however in their personal capacities. While the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Aam Aadmi Party distanced themselves from the ally’s statement, the DMK has defended Udhayanidhi’s position.

The DMK said its leader’s words had been “twisted” and “taken out of context” while Udhayanidhi himself has clarified that he “never called for genocide.” Some DMK leaders and its allies also said the opposition of “Sanatana Dharma” is one of the foundational tenets of the Dravidian movement from which the DMK and BJP-ally All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) were carved out.

The Tamil Nadu minister, in a post on X, on Saturday night, said “...Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality.”