Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday reiterated his remarks calling for the “eradication” of Sanatan Dharma in the Tamil Nadu assembly.During his address as Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly, Udhayanidhi said the opposition “will not permit” any attempt to sideline “Tamil Thai Vazhthu”, the Tamil invocation song.“Sanatana Dharma, which divides people, must certainly be abolished,” he said.Udhayanidhi was highlighting a specific grievance regarding the recent swearing-in ceremony of the new government, alleging that the state anthem was pushed to the third position in the order of events instead of being given its traditional priority.“Such an incident, which happened during your government’s swearing-in ceremony, was a mistake and you should not permit it to happen again in this Assembly. We will not permit it,” he added.He further said that not just in the Assembly, but at any government event or programme held in Tamil Nadu, “Tamil Thai Vazhthu” must always be accorded the primary position.“I request this government to ensure that this is never compromised. We must be very vigilant in protecting our rights and traditions,” the LoP said.“In governance, DMK is the senior batch and we are ready to teach you,” he said in a lighter vein, referring to chief minister Vijay and Speaker Prabhakar. Vijay was also seen smiling during the remarks.Udhayanidhi’s latest remarks on Sanatan Dharma came nearly three years after a similar statement by him triggered a major political storm across India. He had then said Sanatan Dharma was against the idea of social justice and needed to be eradicated.Udhayanidhi’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. While TVK won 108 seats in its debut election, DMK managed to secure only 59 seats.
