He said President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the new Parliament as she was a widow and hailed from the tribal community.
Udhayanidhi Stalin. (UdhayStalin/ X)
Reigniting the row he caused by his 2 September comments on Sanatana Dharma, Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has alleged that President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the new Parliament building — during its inauguration earlier, or now — as she is a widow and hailed from the tribal community.
He further said, “This is what we call Sanatana Dharma.”
Udhayanidhi, who heads the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Ministry, had earlier stoked a controversy with his anti-Sanatan Dharma remarks that led to a heated debate across the country, especially with the BJP targeting him over the issue.
Speaking at a party event in Madurai on Wednesday, 20 September, he said President Murmu was neither invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building a few months ago nor now when it was hosting its first-ever session, a five-day special sitting where the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in the Lower House.
“Who is our First Citizen — the President? What is her name? It is Droupadi Murmu. She was not invited to the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament building. This is what we call Sanatanam.”
“Yesterday, a female Hindi actor was taken to the new Parliament building but there was no permission for the President. Why? Because Draupadi Murmu is from a tribal community because she has lost her husband. This is what we call Sanatana Dharma,” he added.
On Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the absence of the President who “represents the tribal community”.
This is a quite nice building with lovely peacock decor. Frankly, I would have liked to see the President of India in this process.
The President of India is a woman; she represents the tribal community, and it would have been befitting to have her visible in this transfer… pic.twitter.com/8ODZRXMjaJ— Congress (@INCIndia) September 20, 2023
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.
Udhayanidhi’s comments sparked a backlash from political parties, with the BJP seeking an apology from the minister for his comments and submitting 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 Udhayanidhi over his comments.
Even as he was backed by a few leaders, notably Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, and cases were registered against the two.
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.
Another FIR was registered against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Maharashtra regarding his remarks on Sanatana Dharma. Mira Road police in Thane have registered an FIR against Udhayanidhi following a complaint, an official said on Wednesday, 13 September.
The complainant claimed that Udhayanidhi’s remarks have hurt the sentiments and religious feelings of those who follow the principles of Sanatana Dharma, as per the FIR.
Meanwhile, Congress 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, “Sanatana 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.
(With PTI inputs)
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