A week after Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments on Sanatan Dharma sparked a controversy, the BJP on Tuesday raised a speech from the same event by state Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy to attack the Opposition's INDIA alliance. At the September 2 event, 'Conference to Abolish Sanatan Dharma', organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers' and Artists' Association, Ponmudy said: "While there may be differences in opinion among us, there is unity in opposing Sanatan. Everyone in this alliance (INDIA) stands against Sanatan Dharma, to promote equality, protect the minorities, and ensure gender equality. This is the shared goal of the 26 parties here.” After the uproar over Udhayanidhi's remarks at the same event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged his ministers to “give a strong response”. A day later, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin seemed to be trying to douse the fires, saying that the BJP might have “misunderstood” what his son said. On Tuesday, BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai revived the party's attack over the issue, while refraining from referring to the Opposition alliance as INDIA. Sharing videos of Ponmudy's speech on social media, Annamalai posted: "Eradicating Hinduism seems to be the primary agenda of the parties in the I.N.D.I. Alliance. This reveals the true intentions of the I.N.D.I. Alliance.” DMK Minister Thiru Ponmudi reaffirms that the I.N.D.I. alliance was formed on the plank of opposition to Sanatana Dharma. Eradicating Hinduism seems to be a single-point agenda of the parties in the I.N.D.I. Alliance. This is the true face of I.N.D.I. Alliance. It is also… pic.twitter.com/vxq3eRzpM5 — K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) September 11, 2023 Top BJP leaders also raised Ponmudy's speech, accusing the INDIA bloc of not even sparing Sanatan Dharma as part of its vote bank politics. BJP president J P Nadda said it was part of a well-thought-out strategy of the Congress and its leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. "The Congress and the INDI Alliance should make their view clear and tell if the Constitution gives the right to make objectionable comments against any religion? Do INDI Alliance members not know the Constitutional provisions?" he said on X, adding that INDIA and the Gandhis should answer why "hate against Sanatan Dharma is being sold in the name of mohabbat ki dukan". Addressing a press conference in Delhi, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused senior Congress leaders of staying quiet as the country's culture and heritage are “insulted daily”. He referred to remarks by RJD leader Chandra Shekhar and the Samajwadi Party's Swami Prasad Maura regarding Hindu holy books. Prasad said the BJP would raise this issue in the coming polls, with the agenda having been set by the Opposition. "We will talk of vikas (development) as well as virasat (heritage)," he said. "The BJP urges this alliance (INDIA) to come out with a categorical resolution that we completely disassociate ourselves (from the DMK's criticism), and say that this is not our agenda," the senior BJP leader said. Meanwhile, 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 making the purported remarks went viral on social media. He was speaking at a public rally in Barmer district of poll-bound Rajasthan last week during BJP's Parivartan Yatra. Reacting to the recent comments made by Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin against the Sanatan Dharma, Shekhawat said, “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 was quoted as saying by PTI. After Stalin's intervention to cool tempers, Udhayanidhi too had told his followers to let matters be and not file FIRs against those opposing him. However, he has dug his heels in as far as his views on Sanatan Dharma go, and while defending them, has kept up the offensive on the BJP. On Sunday, Udhayanidhi described the BJP as "a poisonous snake that needs to be chased out of Tamil Nadu" and compared its ally, AIADMK, to "a garbage mound that shelters the snake”. With PTI inputs, Delhi
