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Udhayanidhi Stalin flags Mahabharata, no invite for President Murmu in Sanatan Dharma remark row

2023-09-09 00:00:00.0 铸币报-政治原网页

Tamil Nadu DMK minister and son of chief minister MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin, seemed to have unleashed an absolute furore over his “eradicate Sanatana Dharma" remark. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been relentless in their demand for apology from Stalin, also seeking Congress' response to the remark, Udhayanidhi has refused to budge from his stance. The junior Stalin has reiterated in his public statements ‘ I will say this again and again’ that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated, not just opposed.

Udhayanidhi Stalin when asked to provide an example of discrimination being practised under Sanatan Dharma, flagged President Droupadi Murmu, a member of the indigenous community in India, not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building on 28 May in Delhi.

“The President of India Droupadi Murmu was not invited for the inauguration of the Parliament. That is an example of Sanatana Dharma," Udhayanidhi, the son of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, told reporters on Tuesday.

On 5 September, Udhayanidhi's post on micro blogging platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) referring to Mahabharata's Dronacharya and his treatment of Ekalavya, courting another controversy after his remarks on 'Sanatana Dharma'.

Stating that teachers always think of future generations, Udhayanidhi Stalin said in a veiled reference to the Mahabharata's Ekalavya, that the ties between teachers who preach virtues without demanding the "thumb" and the Dravidian movement are long and will continue forever.

In the epic Mahabharata, Dronacharya, an expert in military warfare, mocks Ekalavya, who is from a tribal community, by asking for the impossible sacrifice of his right thumb as 'guru dakshina' when he seeks to learn archery from him.

Ekalavya, despite losing his thumb to Dronacharya, goes on to master archery on his own by observing him teaching the Kaurava and Pandava princes.

“Teachers are incomparable people who always think only about the future generations. The bond between our Dravidian movement and teachers who preach virtue without asking for thumbs! It will continue forever. Happy Teacher’s Day," Udhayanidhi had said in Tamil.

Meanwhile, an FIR was registered here against DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge for allegedly outraging religious feelings, police said on Wednesday.

Stalin had on Saturday during an event in Tamil Nadu compared the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria.

In his address at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai last week, the DMK leader likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and said such things should not be opposed but eradicated.

"Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality," he had alleged while reiterating his remarks against Sanatan Dharma, a term used by many Hindus to describe their religion.

Over 260 eminent citizens, including former judges and bureaucrats, have written to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud urging him to take cognisance of the DMK leader's comments, calling it "hate speech."

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress chief KS Alagiri described Udhayanidhi as a “young Periyar" (EV Ramaswamy, the father of the Dravidian movement who had opposed Sanatana Dharma).

“Are they suggesting that Sanatana Dharma, which classifies people as untouchables, must not be changed?" Alagiri was quioted by Hindustan Times. “Udhayanidhi has the right to say it. His father, grandfather, party founder Anna, and Periyar have said the same. Are you (BJP) making a fuss because of the approaching elections? Amit Shah is using it to allege that the DMK and Congress are anti-Hindu."