Politics
Udhayandhi Stalin and PK Sekar Babu
Videos of remarks made by Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and PK Sekar Babu, the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) at a Christmas event in Chennai have caused an uproar on social media.
In remarks that are being seen as an attack on the supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as well as Hindus in general, Udhayanidhi said:
“I’m proud to call myself a Christian. Today, all Sanghis will be burning. Because Sekar Babu is saying ‘Hallelujah’, Udhayanidhi is saying ‘I’m a Christian’. Yes, I will say that I’m a Muslim too.”
He further said: “I studied here at the Don Bosco school, Egmore. I got my degree from Loyola College. I loved and married a Christian woman (Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi). On that note, I feel delighted to be participating in this Christmas event.”
A video shared on Twitter by TR Ramesh, an activist who works to free temples from government control, shows HR&CE Minister Sekar Babu saying 'Hallelujah' three times.
Speaking further on the Dravidian model of governance, which has lately been under vociferous attack by BJP state president K Annamalai, Udhayanidhi said:
"I’m telling you now. A HR&CE Minister is saying ‘Hallelujah’. This is what is called ‘Dravida Model regime’. He had organized a even bigger event for Ramzan. On the outside, he may be roaming around with a mala. But this is what is social justice regime.
"This is what Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, Anbazhagan has taught us. That is what our chief is implementing as ‘Dravida Model regime’.”
Recently, another Christmas event was used by Dravidianists to attack Hindus and create a divide between northern and southern India through His Holiness Surya Naiynar Kovil Sivakara Yogikal Mutt Mahalinga Desika Paramacharya Swamigal.
In his speech His Holiness said that northern Indian culture is 'Hare Krishna Hare Rama' culture and with a grin on his face declared that the followers of such culture have been stopped by Dravidianism in Tamil Nadu and by Communism in Kerala.