Sanatana should be abolished only to abolish untouchability: Udhayanidhi

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

Amid a simmering controversy over his remarks against Sanatana Dharma, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has once again justified his call stating that eliminating Sanatana will also lead to destroying untouchability.

"We say that Sanatana Dharma should be abolished only to abolish untouchability. I believe that if Sanatana is destroyed, untouchability will also be destroyed," the junior Stalin said on Tuesday in response to the Tamil Nadu Governor's remarks on social discrimination in the state.

Governor Ravi had during a cultural event conducted by Tamil Seva Sangam in Thanjavur last week spoke in detail about social discrimination based on a person's caste that is still prevalent in various parts of Tamil Nadu.

Udhayanidhi, who is also Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's son, while, addressing a 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' recently said, "Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality."

He also compared Sanatana Dharma to diseases like dengue, malaria, or the Coronavirus and said, "Few things cannot be opposed; those should be abhorred only. We cannot oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona; we have to eradicate them. That's how we eradicate Sanatana. Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated."

His remarks created a political slugfest in the country with leaders of political rivals NDA and INDIA alliance taking potshots at each other.

Amid this political slugfest, the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Aam Aadmi Party, which are part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, distanced themselves from the DMK leader.