New Delhi: Hindutva followers should decide whether they will teach Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin a lesson “by defeating him in an election or by physically assaulting him with laat and ghoonse (kicks and punches),” Telangana MLA T. Raja Singh — a suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member — has said.
Udhayanidhi’s comment Saturday — that Sanatana (Dharma) was “against social justice and equality”, was like “corona, malaria, dengue”, and should be “eradicated” — has sparked a furore, with the BJP holding protests and hitting out at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader.
Singh called for action against Udhayanidhi, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in a video posted on X Sunday.
इनकी पुश्ते खत्म हो सकती है, सनातन धर्म नहीं pic.twitter.com/mjs1vPN7AG
— Raja Singh (@TigerRajaSingh) September 3, 2023
In the video, Singh said, “Udhayanidhi has made an absurd statement…he said Sanatana Dharma is like dengue. I want to tell him that his forefather was a Hindu… Whoever is born in India is a Sanatani Hindu first, then he changes his religion. If there is one state with strong Sanatani Hindu belief, it is Tamil Nadu, which has thousands of temples which are hundreds of years old.”
He added, “In such a Sanatani state, I want to ask the Hindus…today, the chief minister’s son is speaking against Sanatani Hindus, tomorrow any h@#$%* will follow suit… I leave it to all Hindus of the state as to how they want to teach him a lesson.”
Singh was suspended from the BJP and arrested by the Telangana Police last year over remarks allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed. But according to party sources, Eatala Rajender, chairman of the Telangana BJP’s election management committee, has met Singh and there is discussion about revoking his suspension before the state assembly polls to be held later this year.
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Keeping up pressure
The BJP been using Udhayanidhi’s comments to attack the INDIA bloc of opposition parties.
Launching the party’s Parivartan Yatra in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Monday, defence minister Rajnath Singh said, “The DMK, a Congress ally, is insulting Sanatana Dharma. They say Sanatana Dharma should be abolished. Allies of the INDIA coalition are silent…The Congress and the INDIA alliance should apologise.”
At a press conference the same day, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “A competition to abuse, curse and humiliate our civilisation, basic faith, Sanatana Dharma has started among leaders of the arrogant coalition…such incidents do not happen incidentally or spontaneously…”
Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said to the media Wednesday, “It’s certainly looking like it’s a pattern and a planned attack on the Hindu faith…The DMK prince Udhayanidhi Stalin says I’ll eradicate Sanatana Dharma and Hinduism…”
#WATCH | On Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara's statement, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar says, "G Parameshwara has made this very shocking statement and it's certainly looking like it's a pattern and a planned attack on the Hindu faith…The DMK prince Udhayanidhi… pic.twitter.com/3ANq3eH8LM
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2023
“Congressmen and Rahul Gandhi must explain what is their position on Udhayanidhi’s statement vis-a-vis the Constitution of India…do these dynastic parties believe that the Constitution works only when it is convenient for them,” Chandrasekhar asked.
A senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu told ThePrint, “While Annamalai’s yatra gave the party momentum, Stalin’s son has given us an issue which has mobilised the cadre. Tamil Nadu has ancient temples across the state…our cadres have been told to hold protests at temples where people come to pray everyday.”
Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi has said that he never called for a “genocide” of followers of Sanatana Dharma — an allegation first by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai — and instead linked his comments to the issue of caste discrimination. On Wednesday, he said as an example of this, “The Honourable President Droupadi Murmu was not invited for the opening of the Parliament. That is the best current example.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)