Will Face Matter Legally: Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma Remark After HC Criticism

After the Madras High Court’s observation on the Sanatan row, Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who earlier compared ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to Dengue and Malaria, on Monday said he did not say ‘anything wrong’.

Udhayanidhi, the son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, said he will face the matter legally.

“We will face the matter legally. I will not change my stand. I have only talked about my ideology,” he said.

The DMK leader, who had earlier stirred controversy by comparing ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to Dengue and Malaria, also said that his remarks were not something that iconic leaders like Dr B R Ambedkar and Periyar E V Ramasamy had not made.

Udhayanidhi visited the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan in Chennai as part of his party’s signature campaign against NEET. He spoke to the reporters following his meeting with Thirumavalavan.

MADRAS HC ON CONCLAVE TO ‘ABOLISH SANATANA DHARMA’

Earlier in the day, the Madras High Court emphasised on the importance of upholding the coexistence of diverse ideologies in the country, while asserting that no one has the right to organise meetings aimed at eradicating any particular ideology.

A single-judge bench of Justice G Jayachandran said, “No person in this country can have a right to propagate divisive ideas and conduct meeting to abolish or eradicate any ideology.”

Accordingly, the bench declined to grant permission for a conclave focused on the “eradication of Dravidian ideologies”. The judge expressed concern about divisive actions. He also criticised the Tamil Nadu police for their lack of action against individuals from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), who delivered inflammatory speeches at a previous conclave centred on the “eradication of Sanatana Dharma”.

“No action has been taken by the Police against them which is dereliction of duty on the part of the Police,” the judge said.

CONTROVERSY ON UDHAYANIDHI STALIN’S REMARK

The controversy erupted on Saturday, September 2, when Udhayanidhi was speaking at the ‘Sanatana Abolition Conference’. Addressing the audience, he said, “There are some things which we have to eradicate and we can’t merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, corona, all these are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this.”

MK Stalin’s son further said, “Eradicating and not opposing Sanatanam should be our first task. What is Sanatanam? The name Sanatanam comes from Sanskrit. Sanatanam is against equality and social justice. The meaning of Sanatanam is nothing but ‘permanence’, something which cannot be changed. Nobody can question. This is the meaning of Sanatana.”