Tamil Nadu: LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin revives anti-Sanatan pitch in Assembly in front of CM Vijay, says ‘Sanathanam should be eradicated’

Udhayanidhi Stalin revives anti-Sanatan remarks in Tamil Nadu Assembly before CM Vijay.
Udhayanidhi Stalin reiterated his call to eradicate Sanatan Dharma in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. (Image: udayavani)

On 12th May, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin revived his anti-Sanatan pitch in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. He reiterated his call for the eradication of Sanatan Dharma. While addressing the House in front of newly elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Chandrasekaran Joseph Vijay, Stalin said, “Sanathanam, which separated people, should be eradicated.”

His statement came months after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court held that his 2023 remarks against Sanatan Dharma amounted to hate speech against the Hindu community.

The 2023 anti-Hindu speech

The controversy began on 2nd September 2023, when Udhayanidhi, then Tamil Nadu’s Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, addressed a Sanatana Abolition Conference. He equated Sanatan Dharma with mosquitoes, dengue, malaria and corona, and said it should not merely be opposed but eradicated.

Later, he doubled down on X and claimed that Sanatan Dharma divides people in the name of caste and religion. He stated that “uprooting” Sanatan Dharma was necessary for humanity and equality.

Court questioned action against those who reacted

On 20th January this year, Justice S Srimathy quashed an FIR against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, who had criticised Stalin’s remarks. The court noted that while those who reacted to the anti-Hindu hate speech were booked, no action was initiated against the person who made the statement.

The court also observed that Hinduism had faced constant attacks for nearly a century, first by Dravida Kazhagam and later by DMK.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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