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Journalism of Courage
UNION HOME Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lashed out at the INDIA coalition over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks against Sanatan Dharma, accusing the Opposition bloc of insulting the country’s culture for vote bank and appeasement politics.
At the launch of BJP’s second Parivartan Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan, Shah said at a rally in Dungarpur: “I am seeing for two days that you (INDIA coalition) want power, but at what cost? For two days you are insulting this country’s culture, history and Sanatan Dharma.”
He said: “Two major parties of INDIA coalition, DMK and Congress, their senior leaders – one a son of a (former) Finance Minister and the other a Chief Minister’s son – are saying that Sanatan Dharma should be ended. Tell me, are you ready to end Sanatan Dharma?”
On Saturday, alleging that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi — son of Chief Minister M K Stalin — said at an event in Chennai that it should be eradicated. “Some things cannot be opposed, they should be eradicated. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, and corona cannot be opposed. They should be eradicated. So should Sanatan [Dharma],” he said in his address to the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association.
After some BJP leaders targeted Udhayanidhi on social media, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram Saturday said in a post on X: “Sanathan 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 his address, Shah said, “These people (INDIA coalition) have spoken of ending Sanatan Dharma to do politics of vote-bank and appeasement. Our culture, history and Sanatan Dharma have been insulted, and they haven’t done it for the first time. Manmohan Singh ji said that the minorities have the first right on the Budget. We say that the poor, adivasis, Dalits and the backward have the first right on the Budget.”
“Today the UPA says, the Congress party president says that if Modi ji wins, there will be Sanatan rule. But the rule of Sanatan is already in the hearts of people and no one can remove it. Modi ji has said that this country will run on the basis of the Constitution,” he said.
Referring to an old statement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on radical Hindu outfits, Shah said, “They have a prince, Rahul baba, who said that the Hindu organisations are more dangerous than Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rahul baba, you are comparing Hindu organisations with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and your guru and minister used to say that there is Hindu terror. Brothers and sisters, tell me, do you agree to attach the name of Hindu next to terror. This INDIA coalition can stoop to any level to do politics of vote bank and appeasement.”
“But I have come to tell them that the more you speak, the less you will become,” he said, referring to the previous election results. “Now that you have started speaking against Sanatan Dharma, you will not be spotted even with binoculars,” he said.
Repeatedly referring to the INDIA coalition as “ghamandiya gathbandhan”, he said: “The main party of this alliance, stopped (the construction of) Ram temple for years… You made Modi ji the PM again, and a court judgment came and Modi ji did the bhumi poojan. I have come to tell you that in January, a grand temple will be constructed at the place where Lord Shri Ram was born. The ghamandiya ghatbandhan cannot stop it. It is Narendra Modi’s rule, you cannot stop it.”
At a separate rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Chitrakoot, BJP president J P Nadda also targeted the Opposition coalition over’s Udhayanidhi remarks.
“Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Mohabbat ki dukaan’ has turned out to be ‘nafrat failane wali dukaan’ (spreading hatred). The Opposition (alliance) that met in Mumbai a couple of days ago is attacking India’s culture, traditions and religion,” Nadda said at a function before flagging off the Jan Ashirwad Yatra.
“The (Opposition) alliance is attacking our religion. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin has remarked that Sanatan Dharma should be abolished. He had likened it to coronavirus, malaria. Throw away such an alliance that is against our Sanatan Dharma and spreading poison. They want to abolish it (Sanatan Dharma), eradicate them,” Nadda said.
Udhayanidhi, meanwhile, has said that he stood by his words.
Responding to BJP leader Amit Malviya’s allegation that he had called for the “genocide of 80% population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma”, Udhayanidhi tweeted late Saturday that he never “called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma”.\
“Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality. I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma,” he said.
