The controversy over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks refuses to die down as Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said anyone who speaks against the Sanatan Dharma would have his tongue pulled out and his eyes gouged out. A video of Shekhawat's purported threatening remarks during a public rally in poll-bound Rajasthan went viral on social media.
In the video, Shekhawat can be heard saying, “We have to stand up to the challenge. We will pull out the tongue of anyone who speaks against Sanatan. We will also gouge out those eyes raised against Sanatan.”
“We challenge that no person who speaks against Sanatan will be able to maintain political position and power in this country. They try to attack our culture and history,” he said at a rally in Barmer last week during BJP's Parivartan Yatra.
‘Small leader…not official stand of INDIA’: AAP's Raghav Chadha on Sanatan row
Shekhawat said that many invaders tried to weaken Indian culture for 2,000 years.
“Rulers like Alauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb tried but ancestors of yours and mine were capable and protect the culture. We swear by all those ancestors, whether it is Maharaja Surajmal, Veer Durgadas or Maharana Pratap, that we will not tolerate those who attack Sanatan. We will throw them away,” the Union jal shakti minister said.
{{/usCountry}}“Rulers like Alauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb tried but ancestors of yours and mine were capable and protect the culture. We swear by all those ancestors, whether it is Maharaja Surajmal, Veer Durgadas or Maharana Pratap, that we will not tolerate those who attack Sanatan. We will throw them away,” the Union jal shakti minister said.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this month, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin, alleged that the Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice and called for its eradication. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly seized on his remarks to portray the INDIA bloc as anti-Hindu.
The Congress party, however, distanced itself from the Udhayanidhi's statement and said it believes in Sarva Dharma Sambhava (equal respect for all religions).
"We do not want certificates from the BJP on nationalism, on Sanatan Dharma and on the contribution to our freedom movement. Because, on all these their score is zero," Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said on Tuesday.
She also refused to comment on BJP leader and union minister Gajendra Shekhawat's remarks in the viral video from the public rally.