Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Thursday -September 7 broken his silence over the controversy that was erupted in the wake of the remark from his son and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin about eradicating the Sanatan Dharma. As his remark has sparked an attack against him from the top BJP leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda to the Hindutva seers and supporters, MK Stalin has come to defend his son even as DMK's ally Congress has sharply distanced itself from the issue. 

The attack on Udhayanidhi was escalated after Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened in the matter and instructed the party leaders to respond to the DMK Minister. As Modi came to the ground, his entry has made MK Stalin to jump in to support his son as the Sanatan Dharma row appears to become an inevitable talking point on the platter of the political parties during the upcoming general elections. 

In breaking his silence, MK Stalin had slammed Modi for making comments over the issue. In a statement that he shared on social media, MK Stalin said that Udhayanidhi didn't call for a genocide of people who follow Sanatan Dharma as distorted by the BJP, but he spoke against the discrimination fostered by it. The Chief Minister said that Minister Udhayanidhi had expressed his views on oppressive Sanatan principles that discriminate against scheduled castes, tribals and women, with no intention to offend any religion or religious beliefs.

MK Stalin further said that the individuals who follow the Sanatan Dharma are arguing that women should not work and widowed women should not get married again. He slammed the pro-BJP forces for spreading a false narrative and by citing Prime Minister Modi's statement that Udhayanidhi's comments on Sanatan Dharma needed a proper response, MK Stalin said that the Prime Minister and his ministers didn't speak on the issues like Manipur or the irregularities worth Rs 7.50 lakh crore as revealed by the CAG report. 

The Chief Minister has also questioned whether the Prime Minister, who has failed to fulfill any of his promises, was attempting to divert attention by invoking Sanatan Dharma. MK Stalin's response has come days after Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the eradication of Sanatan Dharma, stating that the Sanatan Dharma is like malaria, dengue, and COVID-19 and that such things shouldn't merely opposed but should be eradicated. 

On the other hand, DMK's ally Congress party has distanced itself from the matter. On Thursday, the Congress party said it didn't agree with the remarks of DMK leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin and A Raja on Sanatan Dharma and asserted that the party believes in 'Sarvadharma Sambhav' (equal respect to all religions). While addressing a presser, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "The Congress has always believed in Sarvadharma Sambhav, wherein every religion, every faith has its space. No one can treat any particular faith as less than another faith." 

"Neither the Constitution allows this nor the Indian National Congress believes in any of these comments. If you know the history of the Indian National Congress you would know that we have always maintained (this stand) and you will find the same principles in the Constituent Assembly debates and the Constitution of India. There can never be a rethink on the Constitution as far as the Congress is concerned", Khera added.