Chennai: Former deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered a fresh political controversy on Tuesday by stating in the Tamil Nadu assembly that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated. "Sanathanam that divides people must certainly be eradicated," Udhayanidhi said in his concluding remarks during his maiden speech as leader of the opposition in the assembly.
BJP and right-wing reactions
The remarks drew sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). State president Nainar Nagenthran warned, "Your hatred for Hinduism would lead to your downfall." He added, "Hurting millions of Hindus by your remarks in the maiden speech shows that you have not matured politically." BJP leader Amit Malviya commented on social media, saying, "Mocking and targeting the faith of millions of people is not courage, it's arrogance." Several leaders from right-wing outfits also condemned Udhayanidhi for the statement.
Udhayanidhi's other points in the speech
During his address, Udhayanidhi urged the state government to ensure that 'Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu' was given due importance during official events. He said, "During the swearing-in ceremony of the chief minister, 'Tamil Thai Vaazhthu' was pushed to third position, causing anger and shock among the people." He compared this to West Bengal, where he claimed that even in a BJP-led government's swearing-in, 'Vande Mataram' was not sung first. "But here in Tamil Nadu it was sung," he said. He demanded that such an incident not be repeated in the assembly or any other event.
Message from the people
Udhayanidhi also noted that the people of Tamil Nadu had sent a message by not giving a majority to the ruling party. "Generally, there will be more ruling party members in the assembly. But this time, the opposition benches are nearly equal in strength. Through this, people of Tamil Nadu have told us something important," he said. He affirmed that the DMK would function as a constructive opposition, respecting the mandate. "DMK has always been and will always be a constructive force," he added.
Call for cooperation
Udhayanidhi emphasized that the ruling and opposition parties should work together for the state's development, stating, "That is people's expectation and DMK's desire." In a lighter vein, he recalled that Chief Minister Vijay and he studied in the same college, but added, "However, in politics we belong to the senior batch as DMK came to power in 1967. On that basis, we are ready to share our knowledge and experience. Be ready to accept it."
