Sanatana Dharma row | BJP using this as a weapon to protect itself and avoid facing questions on political failures: T.N. Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin

Udhayanidhi Stalin accuses BJP of twisting his speech on Sanatana Dharma; alleges PM Modi & Ministers using row to divert attention from issues like Manipur riots & financial irregularities. He claims to be heir of Perarignar Anna, not enemy of any religion. Urges comrades to focus on party work instead of filing cases against seer. Thanks TNPWAA for making Sanatana Dharma a national talking point.

Accusing the the BJP leaders of twisting his speech that included remarks on Sanatana Dharma, made at a Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association (TNPWAA) conference, DMK youth wing leader and Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Udayanidhi Stalin, on Thursday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues were using the political row that has since erupted over his remarks, as a weapon to protect themselves.

“They consider this row a weapon to protect themselves with. What is surprising is that Union Ministers including Amit Shah and Chief Minister of States ruled by the BJP are also demanding action against me based on fake news,” the Minister said, in a statement issued on Thursday.  

“Afraid of having to face questions about [violence-hit] Manipur in India, the PM is globe- trotting along with his friend [industrialist Gautam] Adani. The fact is, the ignorance of the people is the capital of their theatrical politics,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Udhayanidhi also alleged that PM Modi and his Ministers were using the row to divert the attention from facts such as the the killing of more than 250 people in the riots in Manipur and the 7.5 lakh crore financial irregularities pointed out by the CAG in its report.

He said in all fairness, he should be the one filing criminal cases and other court cases against the various BJP leader for having spreading slander. “But I am aware that this is their mode of survival. They don’t know how else to survive, so I decided not to do that [file police cases],” he added.

Mr Udhayanidhi said he was one of the political heirs of Perarignar Anna [C.N. Annadurai], the founder of the DMK and everyone knows that “we are not the enemies of any religion.”