Union Minister demands Udayanidhi’s sacking over Sanatan Dharma remarks

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shobha Karandlaje on Monday demanded that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin should immediately sack state minister—and his son—Udhayanidhi Stalin over his allegation that Sanatan Dharma is “against social justice” and it should be “eradicated”. DMK chief Stalin’s son is also the Youth Welfare Minister for the state of Tamil Nadu.
Udhayanidhi had on Saturday “insulted” Sanatan Hindu dharma, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said while speaking to the media in Hyderabad. Karandlaje told reporters, “Chief Minister Stalin’s son talking like this…we felt very sad. Our country is connected to religion and temples. He (Udhayanidhi) holds a responsible position and his father is Chief Minister…What is he speaking? What does he think?”
“Stalin should immediately sack him (Udhayanidhi) from the ministry and he should also take serious action against him”, Karandlaje demanded. She was in the city to attend the G20 Technical Workshop on “Climate Resilient Agriculture” which began on Monday. The BJP leader further blamed the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu for the alleged religious conversions in that state. “In Tamil Nadu, mass religious conversions are happening and who is behind it…I feel the government there is behind the religious conversions. And they are abusing and insulting Sanatan Hindu dharma. This is totally wrong. This will not be tolerated.”
She said people in Tamil Nadu are religious and frequent temples, adding that the state has many big, important temples and such remarks are an “insult” to all believers. In his address at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai on Saturday, Udhayanidhi said Sanatan is against equality and social justice. Likening Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes, Udhayanidhi said such things should “not be opposed but destroyed”.