How Did ‘Sanatana Dharma’ Remark Divide I.N.D.I.A Alliance?

DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin made a controversial remark about “Sanatana Dharma“ that has caused division within the INDIA Alliance. 

Priyank Kharge, the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, also supported Stalin and stated that Sanatan (Hindu) religion does not promote equality and human dignity, it isn’t a religion but a disease.

But the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and AAP, who are part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, distanced themselves from DMK and its minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. The Opposition seems to be divided on this controversy. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party also criticized Stalin and questioned Rahul Gandhi and other senior opposition leaders’ stance on the matter. 

The TMC party has condemned the remarks made by the son of the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin. The TMC spokesperson said that they strongly disapprove of such comments and that the opposition bloc, called the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, has no connection to these remarks. The TMC said that they believe in harmony and respecting all religions.

Mamata Banerjee, the TMC supremo and chief minister of West Bengal, also expressed her views on the matter. She said that people should not comment on things that may hurt the religious sentiments of others. 

She emphasized that India is a secular and democratic country, and unity in diversity is its foundation. Banerjee respects Sanatan Dharma, which is a term used to refer to the Hindu religion. She urged everyone to avoid commenting on matters that may hurt any section of society.

Congress leader Karan Singh strongly objected to the comments made by the DMK leader, calling them unfortunate and unacceptable. Singh pointed out that millions of people in India follow the principles of Sanatan Dharma to some extent.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also spoke on the matter, stating that the party believes in “Sarva Dharma Sambhava,” which means equal respect for all religions. 

He emphasized that every political party has the freedom to express their views, and the Congress respects everyone’s beliefs.

Several Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Prahlad Patel, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Anurag Thakur, criticized the opposition alliance for playing with Hindu sentiments. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh specifically called out the opposition’s INDIA bloc for DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments on Sanatan Dharma and demanded an apology. 

Singh questioned why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Ashok Gehlot remained silent on the issue. Other union ministers, such as Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur, also condemned Udhayanidhi’s remarks.

They had criticized opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Nitish Kumar, and Mamata Banerjee for their silence. 

The union ministers have accused the opposition of using Hindu sentiments for political gain and claimed that Hinduism has withstood centuries of Islamic Mughal rule and British imperialism. Anurag Thakur further accused the INDIA alliance of engaging in polarizing politics.