Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday revived his controversial stand on “Sanatana Dharma” during his maiden speech in the Assembly, saying the ideology “which divides people” should be abolished.
The DMK leader, whose 2023 remarks on Sanatana Dharma had triggered a nationwide political storm and multiple legal complaints from the Hindu organisations, reiterated the position while attacking what he described as attempts to dilute Tamil identity and traditions.
Addressing the House for the first time as LoP, Udhayanidhi also warned the ruling dispensation against sidelining “Tamil Thai Vazhthu”, the Tamil invocation song, during official functions.
Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded an unconditional apology from Udhayanidhi over his remarks on Sanatan Dharma and urged the Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker to expel him from the House and remove his statement from its proceedings. The VHP also attacked the INDIA bloc parties and the Tamil Nadu Government for remaining silent over the DMK leader’s remarks, saying their “silence speaks volumes”.
BJP Chief Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy claimed that the DMK’s recent ouster from power was a direct consequence of such divisive rhetoric.
