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M K Stalin backs son over remarks about Sanatana Dharma, attacks Modi
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin said some used the Sanatana doctrine to perpetuate oppression against women and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the issue as a diversionary tactic
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday backed his son and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over the latter’s controversial remarks about the Sanatana Dharma, saying some used the Sanatana doctrine to perpetuate oppression against women. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the issue as a diversionary tactic.
The chief minister said Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagamthe (DMK) provided the women what Sanatan denied them. “We have promoted our ideology through enlightenment, eschewing violent means to achieve our goals.”
He hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said it will find itself sinking in quicksand if it believes it can tarnish DMK’s reputation over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments that “Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated”.
The chief minister cited media reports quoting Modi’s call for a proper response to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks. He added this was disheartening.
M K Stalin said the formation of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which includes DMK, seems to have rattled Modi. “He is proposing one nation, one election out of fear. It is evident that the BJP is not genuinely concerned about the discriminatory practices in Sanatan but rather desperate to create divisions within the Opposition alliance. It does not take a political genius to recognise this as a political gimmick.”
He said contrary to what the BJP has alleged, his son never called for genocide. He added that Udhayanidhi Stalin spoke up against oppressive ideologies. The chief minister wondered whether Modi, who has access to all the resources to verify any claim or report, is unaware of the lies spread about Udhayanidhi Stalin or if he was doing it anyway knowingly.
“...it raises questions about whether the Prime Minister, who has failed to fulfil any of his promises, is attempting to divert attention by invoking Sanatan,” Stalin said. He added neither Modi nor his ministers have replied to questions raised over issues such as ethnic violence in Manipur. “...they convened the Cabinet on Sanatan. Can these leaders truly protect the backward castes, scheduled castes, and tribal people, and uplift women?”
He added if the BJP needs further explanation on his son’s speech, it should consult Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, who said some people have been left behind in the country’s social system.
M K Stalin said pro-BJP forces were unable to tolerate his son’s stance against oppressive principles while accusing them of spreading a false narrative. “The social media mob nurtured by the BJP has widely circulated this falsehood in northern states,” Stalin said. “If the troll army of BJP spreads these lies, the responsible Union ministers and chief ministers of the BJP should have cared to check…”
He said Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh shared “the same lie” while condemning Udhayanidhi Stalin. “Even after Udhayanidhi’s denial, these Union ministers did not retract their statements.”
Stalin questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s inaction against the Ayodhya seer who announced a bounty on his son’s head. Stalin wondered if Modi had an answer to how one can accept Sanatana Dharma. He cited an article by Bhimrao Ambedkar’s grandson, Prakash Ambedkar, saying Sanatana Dharma believes in untouchability.
Stalin hit out at Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi and accused him of supporting child marriages. The DMK government has been at loggerheads with the governor and accused him of working as a BJP agent.
The governor accused the state government of conducting the banned two-finger test on minors after police arrested temple priests for officiating child marriages.
MK Stalin said when they acted against those officiating child marriages, the governor defended them and blocked the investigation. “Some individuals still denigrate women on spiritual platforms, arguing that women should not work, widowed women should not remarry, and there are no rituals or officiating chants for remarriage. They use the term Sanatan to perpetuate the oppression of women, who make up more than half of humankind…Udhayanidhi spoke out against such oppressive ideologies and called to eradicate the practices based on those ideologies.”
Udhyanidhi Stalin separately sought to clarify his comments and urged the DMK cadre against filing cases and burning effigies over the controversy. He asked them to lead the way in showing decency.
On Wednesday, DMK functionaries filed police complaints against the Ayodhya seer for putting the bounty, journalist Piyush Rai for posting a video related to it, and BJP’s IT wing head Amit Malviya.
BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit submitted two petitions to Ravi on Thursday for his intervention in filing a hate speech case against Udhayanidhi Stalin and dismissing his ministerial colleague Sekar Babu. Babu was present at the conference where Udhayanidhi Stalin made the Sanatana remarks.
