Sanatana Dharma Remarks Twisted By BJP, PM Modi Says Udhayanidhi Stalin After Being Blamed For Defeat Of Congress Party In 3 States

Addressing a party programme in Karur on 3 December, Udhayanidhi Stalin stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won in three states, i.e., Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had twisted his remarks on Sanatana Dharma, magnified it and made the whole country talk about it, stated a report by ANI.

Equating Sanatana Dharma to diseases like dengue and malaria, Udhayanidhi had called for its eradication.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which campaigning for the elections in Madhya Pradesh, brought up my speech and spoke about me. He said I had called for genocide (of followers of Sanatan Dharma). He accused me of saying things that I did not."

"I was attending a conference (in Chennai) and spoke only for three minutes. All that I said was that everyone should be treated equally and not be discriminated against, and, that any attempts at discrimination must be eradicated. But they (BJP) twisted my comment, magnified it and made the whole country talk about me," he said.

In the days following his remarks, he refused to apologise.

Udhayanidhi's remarks assume significance as his call to eradicate Sanatana Dharma was strongly criticised and is said to have played a role in the defeat of the Congress in the three states.

According to a report by Times Now, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam and political commentator Tehseen Poonawalla stated that going against Sanatana Dharma had cost the party.

In a post on X, former Indian cricketer, Venkatesh Prasad wrote, "Abusing Sanatana Dharma was bound to have its consequences."