Sanatan Dharma Archives - Lokmarg

‘Bharat is a Product of Sanatan Dharma’: Guv Ravi’s Jibe At Udhayanidhi

By LokMarg 27th September 2023

Even as the fury over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s rant against Sanatan Dharma is yet to die down, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Wednesday said the successful hosting of the G20 Summit by India, under the theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (One Earth, One Family, One Future), has got the world to acknowledge and celebrate Sanatan like never before.

Taking a veiled at the DMK minister. the Governor said Sanatan was “indestructible”.

Addressing a conference in Chennai earlier, Udhayanidhi equated Sanatan with “mosquitoes, dengue, malaria, fever and Corona” and called for it to be eradicated as opposed to being merely opposed.

“On the 9th and 10th of this month, the world celebrated the ‘Sanatana Utsava’ in New Delhi as we hosted the G20 Summit. This is because the G20 Summit under Bharat’s presidency was done with full commitment to Sanatana values, Sanatana Dharma, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam… Today, the world has begun celebrating Sanatana Dharma,” Ravi said at an event on Wednesday.

The Governor said, “Some people are distorting the ideas and beliefs around Satanan by making all sorts of negative remarks. They are doing so out of their selfish interests. They disregard the value of Sanatan. However, Sanatan is indestructible.”

“We have to be awake and alert to our responsibilities. If anyone speaks about eradicating it (Sanatan) or causing it any harm, we must realise that they are peddling an agenda to break the country,” Governor Ravi said.

Stressing that the “core strength” of Bharat lies in Sanatan, he claimed that “anti-national elements were attempting to strike at the very core of the country”.

“That is what the Britishers did, or tried to do. They succeeded in breaking Bharat as Partition saw the country being splintered into two,” the Tamil Nadu Governor said, adding, “Bharat cannot afford another partition”.

Invoking Ambedkar, he said, “Our Constitution says, ‘India that is Bharat’. Bharat is a product of Sanatana Dharma. Unfortunately, after the Britishers left, we didn’t do much to make the citizens understand what Bharat is.” (ANI)

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SC Tags Fresh Plea With Pending Case Against Udayanidhi

By LokMarg 27th September 2023

The Supreme Court on Wednesday tagged a plea of a Delhi based lawyer seeking an FIR against Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and MP A Raja for their remarks calling for the eradication of ‘Sanatan Dharma’, along with similar pending plea.

A bench headed by Justice Aniruddha Bose did not issue notice on the plea but tagged it along with a similar plea filed by a Chennai-based lawyer in which the apex court last week issued notice.

Additional Advocate General of the Tamil Nadu government opposed the plea saying these petitions are ‘publicity interest litigations’.

There are 40 writ petitions filed across the country in different High Courts for publicity, which makes it incredibly difficult for the State.

“Everyone filing PILs for publicity, they will go to the media and circulate these,” the bench said.

The bench said it will not issue notice on the plea and tag it along with the pending petition. “We have not issued notice. Let it be tagged. We will see on that day,” the bench said.

The apex court was hearing an application filed by advocate Vineet Jindal also seeking contempt of court action against Delhi and Chennai police for not registering suo motu FIR for hate speech in terms of the Supreme Court’s earlier order.

The application was filed in an already pending case of hate speech and sought registration of an FIR against Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP A Raja for their act of outraging religious feelings, insulting the followers of the Hindu religion and instigating enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion.

The lawyer said he is a follower of Sanatan Dharma and he watched a video statement of Stalin and its translation on social media and news reports in which Stalin spoke at an event called ‘Sanatan Abolition Conference’.

“The applicant, being a Hindu and Sanatan Dharma follower, his religious sentiments are hurt by statements made by Udhayanidhi Stalin calling for eradicating Sanatan Dharma and further comparing Sanatan with mosquitoes, dengue, corona, and malaria. His words show his hate towards Sanatan Dharma. He is an MLA and Minister in the Tamil Nadu government and has taken an oath to work as per the constitution of our country and must respect all the regions but he intentionally made a provocative and defamatory statement for the Sanatan Dharma with the intent to promote enmity between groups on the grounds of religion,” the application stated.

Aggrieved by the hate speech made by Stalin, the lawyer made a complaint to Delhi police for registration of FIR under sections 153A & B, 295A, 298 and 505 but the police are yet to register the FIR. The Supreme Court in its order dated April 28 directing all States and Union Territories (UT) to register suo motu FIRs in hate speech offences without any complaint being filed.

“Action be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech so that the secular character of India as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved,” the application added.

On September 5, 262 eminent citizens including former High Court judges and bureaucrats wrote to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud urging him to take note of Stalin’s hate speech calling for the eradication of ‘Sanatan Dharma’.

They wrote a letter to the CJI stating that the Supreme Court had directed the governments and police authorities to take suo motu action in hate speech cases without waiting for the lodging of formal complaints.

On September 2, while likening Sanatan Dharma to the coronavirus, malaria, and dengue, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that such things should not be opposed but destroyed.

Remarks of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had triggered a massive political controversy across the country. (ANI)

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Sanatan Dharma Row: Udhayanidhi Says No SC Summons Received

By LokMarg 23rd September 2023

Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday said that he has not received any notice from the Supreme Court asking for his explanation for his Sanatan Dharma remarks which triggered a political storm in the country.

“I saw about the Supreme Court order in the media. There is still no notice received from the Supreme Court asking for an explanation,” Stalin told reporters here.

The Supreme Court on Friday had issued notice to him for his remarks calling for the eradication of ‘Sanatan Dharma’.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi had also issued notice to MP A Raja, MP Thol Thirumavalavan, MP Thiru Su Venkatesan, Tamil Nadu DGP, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, Union Home Ministry, Minister for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Department PK Sekar Babu, Chairman of Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission Peter Alphonse and others.

The apex court which was initially reluctant to entertain the plea and asked the petitioner to approach the High Court, agreed to hear the case.

The bench asked about the context of the remarks, the advocate appearing for Chennai-based lawyer B Jagannath who filed the plea, said, “They have called for eradication of a faith, in an institution.”

The Counsel argued that if such a comment was made by an individual it would be understood, but the State is unleashing its machinery.

He told the bench that circulars have been given asking students to speak against it.

“A constitutional functionary speaking like this is impermissible. Second, students should not be forced to speak out against so and so Dharma,” the counsel said.

The plea filed through advocate Balaji Gopalan sought intervention to not allow Udhayanidhi Stalin and others to make further remarks on Sanatana Dharma.

It also sought to declare the participation of Tamil Nadu Ministers in the meeting — Sanatana Dharma Eradication conference — held on September 2, as unconstitutional.

The petition further sought direction from the respondents — Stalin, Peter Alphonse, A Raja Thol Thirumavalavan and their followers — not to make any further remarks against Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism.

The petitioner urged the DGP to submit a report as to how the conference was given police permission and why no action was taken against the perpetrators and the organisation responsible for the event.

The plea sought directions from the Home Secretary and the CBI Director to immediately direct an investigation and enquiry into the background of holding such events, including the sources pertaining to who is responsible for the contribution of the amount to such organisations.

It also sought directions from the Tamil Nadu government’s Higher Education Department, asking them not to hold any events on ‘Sanatana Dharma’ in secondary schools.

The remarks of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered a massive political controversy across the country.

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‘Tamil Spiritual Journey Has Always Countered Narrow Hinduism’

By LokMarg 20th September 2023

AS Panneerselvan, a Chennai-based academic, says Tamil consciousness has a history of challenging the organised religion which discriminates against people. His views:

After decades, Tamil Nadu is in news about its idea of faith, religiosity and its constant fight for the dignity of every citizen — man, woman, child and transgender. This time the debate has been ignited by Udhayanidhi Stalin, a cabinet minister in Tamil Nadu, and secretary of the DMK’s youth wing. Interestingly, in an event organised by the Left, not on a Dravidian movement platform, he observed that ‘Sanatana’ is divisive and deplorable and equated it (Sanatan Dharma) with “mosquitoes, dengue, malaria, fever and corona”. He said it was not enough to contain the spread of this practice, it should be eradicated like these ailments.

The BJP, which has failed on all fronts, is now trying to get political mileage out of this considered opinion, which is ‘commonsense understanding’ in Tamil Nadu. In this state, there has been a questioning of organised religion that discriminates against people and its vertical hierarchy for centuries.

The most articulate criticism of this hierarchy-based religiosity came from 19^th century saint-poet, Ramalinga Adigal, popularly called Vallalar. He created an oeuvre of work that embraced love and shunned exclusivity. It was Vallalar’s idea of inclusivity that makes him the ‘Father of Tamil Modernity’.

There are five critical elements in Vallalar’s work: simplicity, lyricism, compassion, seeking truth, and, finally, not being a literal interpreter of any of the earlier texts. What Udhyanidhi said was in the Vallalar tradition. It was not against anyone’s personal faith or belief, but it was against bigotry, violence in the name of religion, and humiliation due to a vertical hierarchy that divides people. His speech was widely understood in Tamil Nadu as a clarion call for the dignity of everyone.

Vallalar did not accept Sanatana Dharma and has explained how it justifies stratification of human beings. Vallalar’s songs repeatedly call on every human being to see all life as theirs; and this universalism in his spiritual quest has been ingrained into the general political consciousness of Tamil Nadu.

ALSO READ: BJP is in Panic Mode After Formation Of INDIA Bloc

In the Tamil consciousness, the body is not an illusion but is real. In fact, the Tamil word for body is ‘Mei’, which also means ‘truth’. Hence, right from Sangam literature, there are attempts to address to two crucial ailments: hunger and illness.

Tamil Nadu’s spiritual journey cannot be shoehorned into the juggernaut of hate generated from the so-called defenders of narrow Hinduism. This may explain some of the affirmative actions of Tamil Nadu more clearly: breakfast and mid-day meals for school children, affordable canteens for general public, an effective Public Distribution System, and the supply of rice at a subsidised price.

The real reason for the BJP to attack the DMK has nothing to do with Udhyanidhi’s observation. It is the oldest regional party’s stellar role in bringing the opposition together into a cohesive alliance in the form of INDIA. The DMK made it clear to other poltical formations such as AAP and TMC not to take a self-defeating, anti-Congress line. MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and president of the DMK, has been in the forefront of making the Congress an integral part of the opposition’s poltical mobilisation.

It was MK Stalin who flagged off Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari last year. It was Stalin who explained that ‘Congress Mukt India’ is a BJP plan and that others should not endorse this idea if they want to save the plural vision of the subcontinent. In a sense, the changes in Bihar, the joining of hands of AAP and TMC in the INDIA alliance, were also made possible by the relentless efforts of the DMK. This political mobilisation is not without a huge price.

The BJP, which has weaponised institutions such as the Enforcement Directorate and CBI, have launched numerous investigations against the DMK leaders. Senthil Balaji, a sitting minister, has been arrested by the ED, and now he is a minister without portfolio. Despite multiple raids and searches in the premises belonging to Senthil Balaji, his relatives and friends, the ED is yet to file a credible chargesheet. The attack on DMK is due to these factors, as the party questions the BJP and its centralisation moves from an irrefutable, ‘constitutionalist’ viewpoint.

For instance, the party has taken a strong objection to the union government’s ‘PM Vishwakarma Scheme’. The DMK leaders have said the initiative would force youth to follow their family’s traditional professions and dissuade them from pursuing high-paying careers. The state government has also constituted a four-member committee to assess the potential impact of the scheme on artisans’ education and social mobility. The official position of the party is that the rules and regulations of the scheme would encourage caste-based traditions and eventually consolidate caste in the guise of supporting handicrafts and artisans among 18 OBC communities. Meanwhile, the Dravidian model government is assisting first-generation graduates and college-goers since it wants youth to pursue higher education and make strides.

What irks the BJP is the fact that the DMK remains a steadfast champion of the state’s rights despite having an antagonistic governor and a judiciary which seems to endorse centralisation in one form or the other. In a sense, DMK has given an idea of confronting the BJP by not creating an oppositional monolith, but a decentralised, multi-nodal political framework. Instead of looking at 2024 as a battle between Narendra Modi versus another politician, the DMK has effectively turned it to hyper-centralisation versus the ‘idea of India’. And, for this, the BJP has no effective answer, and, hence, its ire against the old regional party of the country.

(The narrator is a Fellow at the Roja Muthiah Research Library and head of its Centre for Study in Public Sphere and the curator of ‘Reading Hub’, a forum for books and ideas. He has been the Readers’ Editor of The Hindu, an independent, internal news ombudsman for nearly a decade. Apart from being a regular columnist, he is also a journalism teacher and an adjunct faculty of the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. He is also a member of the governing board of KM Adimoolam Foundation for Arts in Chennai. He has written an extensive biography of M Karunanidhi, published by Penguin Random House in 2021)

As told to Amit Sengupta

Free Speech Cannot Be Hate Speech: Madras HC Judge

By LokMarg 16th September 2023

Amid the debate and political row over DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments, the Madras High Court has said that Sanatana Dharma is a set of ‘eternal duties’ which can be gathered from multiple sources relating to Hinduism or those practising the Hindu way of life and includes “the duty to the nation, duty to the King, King’s duty to his people, duty to one’s parents and Gurus, care for the poor, and whole lot of other duties”.

Justice N. Seshasayee said in his order on September 15 that the court is conscious of “the very vociferous, and at time noisy debates on pro and anti Sanatana Dharma” and the court could not help pondering over with genuine concern for what is going around.

The court also said that when free speech is exercised in matters pertaining to religion, it is necessary for one to ensure that no one is injured and “free speech cannot be hate speech”.

“Somewhere, an idea appears to have gained ground that Sanadhana Dharma is all about, and only about, promoting casteism and untouchability. Untouchability in a country of equal citizens, cannot be tolerated, and even if it is seen as permitted somewhere within the principles of ‘Sanathana dharma’, it still cannot have a space to stay, since Article 17 of the Constitution has declared that untouchability has been abolished. It is part of the fundamental right,” the court said.

“And, under Art. 51A(a), it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to, ‘abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions..’. Therefore, untouchability, either within or outside Sanatana Dharma can no longer be Constitutional, though sadly it still exits,” it added.

The court referred to the arguments on behalf of the petitioner Elangovan and said he had submitted with considerable force that nowhere Sanatana Dharma either approves or promotes untouchability, and it only insists the practitioners of Hinduism to treat all equally.

“ ‘As religious practices move with time, some bad or evil practices may un-noticingly creep into it. They are the weeds required to be removed. But why should the crop be chopped?’ – This, in short the essence of the submissions of the learned counsel,” the court noted.

The court was hearing a petition challenging a circular issued by a local government college asking girl students to share their thoughts on the topic ‘Opposition to Sanadhana’ on the birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK founder CN Annadurai.

The court disposed of the plea after noting that the circular had already been withdrawn by the college.

“This Court is conscious to the very vociferous, and at time noisy debates on pro and anti Sanathana Dharma. It has also broadly understood Sanathana Dharama as a set of ‘eternal duties’, and that it cannot be traced to one specific literature, but has to be gathered from multiple sources which, either relate to Hinduism, or which those who practice the Hindu way of life, have come to accept,” the court said.

“It includes the duty to the nation, duty to the King, King’s duty to his people, duty to one’s parents and Gurus, care for the poor, and whole lot of other duties. If the topic chosen by the impugned circular is now tested on the plane of these duties, it would then mean that all these duties are liable to be destroyed. Should not a citizen love his country? Is he not under a duty to serve his nation? Should not the parents be cared? With genuine concern for what is going round, this Court could not help pondering over it,” the order said.

The court said it is conscious that every citizen has a fundamental right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

“While right to free speech is inalienable, it is also important to underscore that one is adequately informed, as it adds value to what is spoken. It should not be forgotten that the Constitutional framers have very consciously has not made right to free speech as an absolute right. They have restricted it with Article 19(2),” the order said.

It said Article 25 has granted all citizens the fundamental right to practice any religion.

“Every religion is founded on faith, and faith by nature accommodates irrationality. Therefore, when free speech is exercised in matters pertaining to religion, it is necessary for one to ensure that no one is injured,” the court said.

“In other words free speech cannot be hate speech, as the Hon’ble Supreme Court has cautioned. The users of free speech must not ignore to factor these aspects while exercising their right. If this is ignored, the course of any debate will get derailed, and the objective behind it will lose significance,” it added.

The court said it would be appreciable, if free speech encourages dispassionate, and healthy public debates, and helps society to move forward.

“How free speech is seen exercised these days? If the free speech made through the social media is taken as a basis, anyone who has little to do with science, or rocket, or space, will be lecturing on rocket science. While this is also accommodated within the right to free speech, yet it may he helpful to gain some attention, and may not take it beyond.

“It would be appreciable, if free speech encourages dispassionate, and healthy public debates, and help the society to move forward, along the lines which the Constitution envisages. At the end of the day, every citizen traces his existence to the Constitution, and hence it is his duty to abide by its values, its ethos, and to hold an uncompromising abidance to its spirits. This should not be forgotten. Hope it prevails,” the order said. (ANI)

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Udhayanidhi Claims BJP Twisting His Statement On Sanatan Dharma

By LokMarg 7th September 2023

Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday issued a letter clarifying his statements on ‘Sanatan Dharma’ and questioned the BJP leaders for twisting his speech as ‘inciting genocide’ and said that they are using it as a weapon to protect themselves.

Stalin alleged that the BJP-led central government was twisting his speech delivered on September 2, and accused the centre for doing ‘nothing’ in the last nine years of their governance.

“For the last 9 years, all your (BJP) promises are empty promises. What have you exactly done for our welfare?” is a question currently being raised in unison by the entire country against an unarmed, fascist BJP government,” he said in his letter.

“It is in this background that the BJP leaders have twisted my speech at the TNPWAA conference as ‘inciting genocide’. They consider it a weapon to protect themselves. What is surprising is the Ministers of the Union government like Thiru. Amit Shah and Chief Minister of states ruled by the BJP demanding action against me based on fake news,” he added.

“I am one of the political heirs of Perarignar Anna, the founder of the DMK. Everyone knows that we are not enemies of any religion,” he said in his letter.

Udhyanidhi condemned the statements of Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya for announcing a bounty of 10 crores for beheading his head and said that the saints in this era are in need of advertisement.

“In this era, saints are in need of a lot of advertisements. One such saint has announced a bounty of 10 crores for my head. I am surprised that saint has 10 crores. Many have given police and judicial complaints against me,” he said.

Further, he requested the DMK cadres to not get involved in work that is a waste of time such as burning the effigy of the saint.

“I heard DMK cadres in various places giving complaints against the saint who announced a bounty for my head and also protesting against that Saint by burning the effigy of the saint. I request cadres to avoid such activities. We have a lot of work to do for the benefit of people. With the guidance of the DMK President and by getting advice from the DMK headship and with the help of the legal department I will face all the cases against legally,” he said.

Meanwhile a delegation of Tamil Nadu BJP leaders led by state chief K Annamalai met Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and submitted a petition to him calling for cases to registered against Stalin junior for alleged hate speech.

Speaking to reporters BJP leader Karu Nagarajan said ” If Udhayanidhi Stalin says he is to eradicate Sanatanam it means that he is calling for eradicating Hinduism. We gave the petition to the Governor requesting to sack Udhayanidhi Stalin from the cabinet for his remarks on Sanatanam. We also requested Governor R N Ravi to sack HR & CE Minister Sekar Babu as he also participated in the same program. (ANI)

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Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Reiterates Death Threat Against Udhayanidhi

By LokMarg 5th September 2023

Reiterating the death warning against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remark, Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya on Tuesday said that “if required, I myself will behead MK Stalin’s son, and I will also increase the bounty of Rs 10 crore if that is not enough for beheading him.”

“I would like to tell him to first read the history of Sanatan Dharma and then comment against it. He should apologise for whatever he has said against our Sanatan Dharma, and if he does not apologise, no matter if he is the son of a chief minister, he will get the punishment. If his head doesn’t get beheaded, I will increase the bounty; if at all required, I will myself behead him, Paramhans Acharya said, adding, “Whatever development has taken place in the country is because of ‘Sanatana Dharma’. He should apologise for his statement. He has hurt the sentiments of 100 crore people in the country.”

On Monday, Paramhans Acharya announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the DMK leader over his remarks against ‘Sanatan Dharma. “I will pay a Rs 10 crore cash reward to anyone who beheads Stalin and brings his head to me,” he said.

Responding to Paramhans Acharya’s statement, Udhayanidhi said that he is not afraid of such statements and that he is on the path of his grandfather Karunanidhi, who had also received similar death threats. He further went on to say that after making that remark at the conference, he already knew a lot of reactions would come from people, and now it is happening.

“You all know what has been happening for the last two days in Tamil Nadu. It’s that one word, all speaking mostly, Sanatan Dharma, not only in Tamil Nadu but all over India, people are talking about me.” Udhayandhi, said while speaking to the media. “In Chennai, the day before yesterday, a conference was held that was named the Sanatan Dharma Eradication Conference. What I said in it is, that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated like we eradicate mosquitoes, malaria, dengue, cholera, and COVID. In that stage itself, I said that what I said now would make many people’s stomachs burn. What I said has been done.”

“From Amit Shah to Nadda, all are speaking about Udayanidhi now. A complaint has been registered to arrest me all over India. Today a saint has set a prize for my head. He has said that whoever chops off Udayanidhi’s head will be rewarded with 10 crore rupees. Whoever says this is a saint I am asking, What’s the affection for you on my head? You are a saint; how can you have 1 crore rupees? Are you a real saint or a duplicate saint? I have doubts about you. Why 10 crore to chop my head? If you give me 10 rupees for a comb, I myself can comb my hair,” he said.

“The same situation happened to Karunanidhi too, where a saint said before that if someone chops off Karunanidhi’s head, he will be rewarded one crore rupees. Karunanidhi said that even if you give 100 crores, I can’t even comb my hair. I am on the path of Karunanidhi and Ambedkar. Periyar, Anbazhagan, and our leader (Stalin) who struggles till now to eradicate Sanatan Dharma, and till that, the DMK will struggle,” he added.

Udhayanidhi’s statement at the ‘Sanatana Abolition Conference’ has sparked massive outrage across the nation. Several leaders and people have strongly criticised him for making such a statement and have even asked for an apology from the INDIA bloc as DMK part is a member of the INDIA alliance. Meanwhile, Uddhayanidhi on Monday said that he is ready to say whatever he has said about Santan Dharma again and again. (ANI)

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Cong Distances Itself From Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Sanatan ant

By LokMarg 3rd September 2023

Seeking to steer the Congress away from the statement of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, equating Sanatan Dharma with “mosquitoes, dengue, malaria and corona”, the party’s Maharashtra chief Nana Patole on Sunday said the partner in the DMK-led ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu doesn’t believe in hurting any religious sentiments.

Addressing a conference in Chennai on Saturday, Udhayanidhi, the minister for Sports and Youth Affairs in the Tamil Nadu government, railed against Sanatan Dharma, saying, “Few things cannot be opposed, they should only be abolished. We can’t oppose Dengue, mosquitoes, Malaria, or Corona, we have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana (Sanatan Dharma). Rather than merely opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated.”

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Patole invoked Dalit icon BR Ambedkar’s ‘Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava’ (all religions are the same) remark, saying, “Our stand is clear. The Congress neither comments nor believes in hurting anyone’s religious sentiments.”

“We can’t take the onus for someone else’s statement. But our position has been clearly articulated,” the Congress leader added.

Significantly, the Congress and the DMK are also partners in the Opposition alliance — Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

In a scathing retort to the DMK leader over his remarks, the BJP’s state chief K Annamalai took to his official handle on X to post, “The only resolve that the Gopalapuram Family has is to accumulate wealth beyond the State GDP. Thiru @Udhaystalin, you, your father, or his or your idealogue have a bought-out idea from Christian missionaries & the idea of those missionaries was to cultivate * like you to parrot their malicious ideology.”

Taking a further swipe at Udhayanidhi, he posted, “Tamil Nadu is a land of spiritualism. The best you can do is to hold a Mic in an event like this & rant out your frustration!”

“Echoing his sentiments, the BJP’s IT cell head, Amit Malviya, said the DMK minister was calling for “genocide of 80 per cent of the population of Bharat”.

“Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamilnadu CM MK Stalin, and a minister in the DMK Govt has linked Sanatana Dharma to malaria and dengue… He is of the opinion that it must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for genocide of 80% population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma,” Malviya posted on X.

Also linking the minister’s remarks to the third meeting of the Opposition alliance in Mumbai, Malviya said the partners in the bloc should clarify if this was the refrain they agreed to at the huddle.”(The) DMK is a prominent member of the Opposition block and a long-standing ally of the Congress. Is this what was agreed in the Mumbai meet?” the BJP leader added. (ANI)

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Governor Doesn’t Have Right: Stalin After Balaji Dismissed

By LokMarg 29th June 2023

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday hit out at Governor RN Ravi over the dismissal of jailed minister Senthil Balaji, saying he does not have the right to do so and his government will proceed legally in the matter.

The minister had been arrested in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam case.
Speaking to reporters in the wake of the arrest of the fellow DMK leader, CM Stalin said, “Governor doesn’t have the right (to dismiss a sitting minister) and we will face this legally.”

Also lashing out at the Governor, DMK leader A Saravanan accused the Governor of undermining the Constitution, saying that the order, dismissing Balaji from the state’s council of ministers, is not even worth the paper it was drafted on.

“Who does the Governor thinks he is? Does he have the constitutional authority (to dismiss Senthil Balaji)? The Governor is undermining the constitution. He is catering to the Sanatan Dharma. The law of the land isn’t determined by the Sanatan Dharma. For a Governor, the constitution should be the Bible, Gita, and Quran. He is acting like a clown, trying to appease his political masters. His order isn’t even worth the paper it was drafted on. It must be consigned to the dustbin,” the DMK leader said.

Former Union minister and Congress leader Manish Tewari, too, slammed the dismissal of the jailed minister, tweeting, “Article 164 of COI”The chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister… Since Ministers are appointed on advice of CM they can be removed ONLY on advice of CM Unconstitutional Gov.”

Earlier, on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi dismissed DMK leader jailed minister Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

“Minister V Senthil Balaji is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption including taking cash for jobs and money laundering…Under these circumstances, Governor has dismissed him from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect”, stated a release issued by the Raj Bhavan in Tamil Nadu.

Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 in a cash-for-jobs scam case. He was later admitted to a government hospital in Chennai after he complained of chest pains.

He was allowed by the Madras High Court on June 15 to be shifted to a private hospital of his choice.

The Supreme Court, earlier this month, refused to interfere with the Madras High Court order allowing Balaji to be moved to a private hospital in Chennai and admitted a habeas corpus petition filed against his arrest. (ANI)

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