Sanatana Dharma row: CM says Modi must withdraw remark

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday waded into the controversy pertaining to comments on Sanatana Dharma, calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retract his remarks on the same.

He was referring to Modi’s directions on Wednesday to his Cabinet colleagues to oppose any comments against Sanatana Dharma vociferously.

Siddaramaiah argued that the PM’s demand for a “fitting reply” constituted a call for violence, adding that Modi was still under RSS influence and had forgotten that he was the head of government in a country of 140 crore people.

“Narendra Modi said that Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment on Sanatana Dharma should be given a befitting reply. His statement is not just provocative but also unconstitutional. I demand that the provocative statement be retracted,” Siddaramaiah said.

The controversy erupted on September 2 when Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports and Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi spoke at a progressive writer’s programme entitled “Eradicating Sanatana Dharma From Society.

The minister went on to liken Sanatana Dharma to dengue, malaria and corona, adding that it warranted eradication. The BJP was furious at the statement and demanded that DMK, the ruling party in TN and its ally Congress issue a clarification.

Congress has since been a divided house with prominent leaders clarifying that the party leaders respected all religions while Karnataka’s Dalit ministers with Ambedkarite leanings such as Priyank Kharge and G Parameshwara sympathiseg with Udhayanidhi’s stand.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah hadn’t reacted strongly to the issue, choosing to respond with the vachana “daya ve dharmada moola vayya” [compassion is the root of all (genuine) faith] but Modi’s intervention appears to have forced his hand.