Reacting to a recent remark by the Madras High Court in connection to the Sanatana Dharma controversy, Udhayanidhi Stalin, on Monday, November 6, said that he stands by his statement. “There is nothing wrong in what I said. Whatever happens, we will deal with it legally. I will not change my stance. I have only spoken out my ideologies,” clarified the Tamil Nadu minister for Sports Development and Youth Welfare at a press conference, along with MP and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan.
The leaders were at a show of support by the VCK—an ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)—for DMK’s signature campaign against the NEET exam.
Recently, the Madras High Court denied permission sought by a petitioner named Magesh Karthikeyan to conduct meetings to ‘eradicate Dravidian ideology’. The court said that no person has the right to propagate divisive ideas or conduct meetings to ‘abolish’ any ideology. The court also pulled up the Tamil Nadu police for their inaction against Udhayanidhi and Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) minister Sekar Babu for their call to ‘eradicate’ Sanatana Dharma’ earlier in September.
Passing the order dated October 31, Justice G Jayachandran criticised Udhayanidhi for his Sanatana Dharma remarks saying, “Instead of dividing people in the name of ideology, caste, and religion, those in power should concentrate on eradicating intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health, corruption, untouchability, and other social evils.”
When asked about this at the press meeting on Monday, Udhayanidhi responded, “I have not spoken anything more than what Ambedkar did. I have not spoken anything more than what Periyar did or what brother Thirumavalavan has, so far. There’s nothing wrong with what I said. Whatever happens, we will deal with it legally.”
He further said, “Ministerships will come and go. MLA posts will come and go. Youth Wing presidentship will come and go. It is more important to be human.”
The Sanatana Dharma controversy erupted in connection to events that occurred in September this year at the Sanatanam (Sanatan Dharma) Abolition Conclave organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum. In his speech at the Forum, Udhayanidhi compared Sanatana Dharma to dengue, malaria, and COVID-19, and called for it to be eradicated. His words went viral, leading to a national-level controversy. Several petitions have since been filed against the minister at the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court.
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