Tamil Nadu's Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, has reaffirmed his earlier comments about getting rid of Sanatana Dharma. He said he would not say sorry for what he said. Udhayanidhi explained that his comments were about old unfair practices against women, but people misunderstood his words, causing a controversy in September 2023.

 

Defending his remarks

 

At an event on Monday, Udhayanidhi, a leader of the DMK party, said that his views were the same as those of important Dravidian leaders like Periyar, former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi. He explained that his comments were meant to talk about the unfair treatment of women in the past, which was done in the name of religion.

“Women were not allowed to study. They were unable to leave their homes, and if their husbands died, they would have to die as well. Thanthai Periyar spoke against all of this. I echoed what Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar said,” Udhayanidhi said, referring to the prominent figures of the Dravidian movement.

In September 2023, Udhayanidhi caused a lot of controversy when he compared Sanatana Dharma to diseases like "dengue" and "malaria." He said that it shouldn't just be opposed but completely "removed." He made these comments at a 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' saying that Sanatana Dharma encourages unfairness and is against social justice. His words received strong criticism, especially from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hindu groups, leading to legal cases being filed against him across India.

 

No apology, still stands with his statement

 

Even with the backlash, Udhayanidhi said he doesn't feel sorry and won't apologise. He explained, "But my words were twisted. Not just in Tamil Nadu; cases were filed against me in several courts across India. They asked me to apologise, but I stand by what I said. I'm the grandson of Kalaignar, and I will not apologise," referring to his grandfather, the late DMK leader M. Karunanidhi.

Besides defending his comments about Sanatana Dharma, Udhayanidhi talked about his worries regarding the use of Hindi in Tamil Nadu. He mentioned that some words were taken out of the Tamil Nadu anthem, the Tamil Thaai Vaazthu, during a Doordarshan Tamil programme. He claimed that this was done on purpose to encourage the use of Hindi.

"I request the newlyweds to come up with a beautiful Tamil name for their child. Because many are attempting to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu. They couldn't do it directly. That's why they are omitting a few words from the Tamil Thaai Vaazthu (state song). They are trying to impose Hindi via the new education policy. But they are all failing," Udhayanidhi said.

Udhayanidhi, who became Tamil Nadu's Deputy Chief Minister on September 30, was previously the state sports minister. His elevation to the new role was reportedly delayed due to the controversy surrounding his remarks on Sanatana Dharma.