A day after Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on ‘Sanatana Dharma’ sparked a political row, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has come out in support of the former and said that any religion that does not give equal rights and dignity to human beings is like a disease. He was responding to a question on Udhayanidhi’s comment comparing Sanatana Dharma with diseases such as dengue and malaria. “Any religion that does not promote equality, Any religion that does not ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion according to me. Any religion which does not give equal rights or does not treat you like humans is not a religion, so it is as good as disease,” he said.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) youth wing leader and Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had called for “eradication of Sanatana Dharma from the society”, during an event organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum on September 2. Stating that it was a good thing that the conference was called 'eradication of Santana dharma' instead of 'opposing Sanatana Dharma', he said that there were certain things which we have to eradicate and we cannot merely oppose. “Mosquitoes, dengue, corona and malaria are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this. Eradication and not opposing Sanatanam has to be our first task,” he said.
Udhayanidhi’s remarks were interpreted as a call for ‘genocide’ of the followers of Sanatan Dharma, the claims which he refuted. “I never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma. Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality… I am prepared to confront any challenges that come my way, whether in a court of law or the people's court. Stop spreading fake news,” he said.