'Religion must promote dignity of human beings'

NT Correspondent | NT

Bengaluru: Amid the ongoing row over the comments on Sanatana Dharma by Tamil Nadu sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who said it was against social justice and should be eradicated, minister for IT-BT, Rural Developments, and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge remarked that any belief that promotes inequality in society doesn’t qualify to be a religion and termed it as a 'disease.'

His response came shortly after the meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023.

Addressing the media, the Minister said, “Any religion that promotes inequality is as good as disease. It must promote the dignity of being a human being. If not, it is as good as disease”.

The issue has drawn a huge backlash from the BJP and other Hindutva outfits after the remark by Udhayanidhi last Saturday.

“Sanatana Dharma is like dengue, malaria and we have to eradicate them rather than opposing it”, said Udhayanidhi,. Condemning him, BJP leaders demanded he apologize for hurting the sentiments of Hindus in the country.

Home Minister Amit Shah said the party has started hate politics already.

“You have been disrespecting the Sanatana Dharma and the culture and the history of this country. The INDIA alliance has started appeasement politics.'', he said.