Sanatana Dharma row: Congress leaders call for cautious approach, urge party to not get drawn into BJP agenda

Also read: Fresh case registered against Udhayanidhi Stalin in Maharashtra

‘Focus on the poor and their issues’

Rahul Gandhi said that instead of getting involved in the Sanatan Dharma row, the leaders should focus on the poor and their issues as they had been the party’s traditional vote bank, the sources said.

He said the party should raise the issues of the poor, irrespective of their caste, according to sources.

The sources said that during the CWC meeting, both Baghel and Singh pointed out that speaking on the Sanatan Dharma row would hurt the party and would help the BJP.

Asked about the matter at a party briefing, senior party leader P Chidambaram said the issue of Sanatana Dharma was not discussed during the CWC meeting.

He said the party believes in respecting all religions and cited “Sarvadharma Sambhav”.

‘No discussion on Sanatana Dharma’

“There has been no discussion on the Sanatana Dharma issue. Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) has made it absolutely clear that the Congress is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on Sanatana Dharma issue,” Chidambaram said.

“We believe in ‘Sarvdharma Sambhav’, equal respect for all religions, and we stand by that position. That has been the consistent position of the Congress party for many many decades and we are not getting drawn into any controversy on that issue,” he said.

“Please note the distinction I am making…I am not speaking for the DMK, but the DMK has said that they are not opposed to any religion, they are opposed to the caste oppression and caste hierarchy and all that goes with caste hierarchy…suppression of women, oppression of Dalits and as you all well know, the impediments placed on the so-called lower class by the caste hierarchy,” Chidambaram said.

“So, the DMK has explained, it is in that context they have mentioned Sanatan Dharma, but let me make it very clear…we are not getting drawn into that controversy,” he said.

Also read: BJP hits out at INDIA bloc; disagree with remarks, says Congress

What did the DMK leader say?

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin recently blamed Sanatana Dharma for promoting division and discrimination among people and said that it should be eradicated.

Speaking at a conference on “Abolition of Sanatana” in Chennai on 2 September, organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, Udhayanidhi said, “Few things cannot be opposed, they should be abolished.”

He added, “We can’t oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria or corona. We have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana, rather than oppose it.”

He also said that the word Sanatanam was derived from Sanskrit, that it was against equality and social justice, and that it had been a hindrance to society.

BJP condemns remarks

Udhayanidhi’s comments sparked a backlash from political parties, with BJP insisting on the Congress to condemn his remarks.

BJP leaders in Delhi sought an apology from Udhayanidhi for his comments and submitted a protest letter to the state’s resident commissioner in New Delhi.

Union Minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje demanded that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin immediately sack the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development over his comments.

Also read: DMK MP A Raja equates Sanatana Dharma to HIV and leprosy

INDIA bloc leaders react

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary KC Venugopal said that while the Congress’s stand is clear, every other political party has the freedom to express its own view.

“Actually, our view is very clear — ‘Sarvadharma Sambhav’ (equal respect to all religions) is the Congress ideology. But you have to understand that every political party has its own freedom to tell their views,” he said.
“We are respecting everybody’s beliefs,” the Congress leader said.

Congress MP in Lok Sabha Karti Chidambaram defended Udhayanidhi Stalin’s statement on Sanatana Dharma. Taking to social media, Karti said that in the common parlance of Tamil Nadu, “Sanathana Dharma” means caste hierarchical society.

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, reacting to Udhayanidhi’s remarks, said that any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and “is as good as a disease”.

“Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that doesn’t ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion, according to me. So it is as good as a disease,” Priyank Kharge said.

Petitions and cases

The Delhi Police received two police complaints from two different sources against Udhayanidhi on 3 September.

In one case, right-wing outfit Hindu Sena filed a complaint, with its national president Vishnu Gupta stating that the Tamil Nadu minister had insulted Sanatana Dharma “under a well-thought-out strategy”.

A second complaint was lodged by Vineet Jindal, a practising lawyer.

In a video posted on X, he claimed that what Udhayanidhi had said amounted to hate speech, pointing out that Supreme Court guidelines say anyone delivering a hate speech should have an FIR lodged against them, even if there is no complaint.

A petition was filed before a court in Bihar on 4 September, against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin. The petitioner reportedly asked the court to take cognisance of the matter and order a probe against the father and son.

On 6 September, an FIR was filed in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, against the DMK leader as well as Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, for allegedly “inciting religious sentiment”.

Kharge was booked for backing Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark.

(With PTI inputs)