New Delhi, Sep 4 The Delhi unit of BJP on Monday submitted a protest letter to the Principal Resident Commissioner of Tamil Nadu over Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks against the Sanatan Dharma and demanded his apology at the earliest.
Udhayanidhi, who is Tamil Nadu's Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while addressing a meeting of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum on Saturday said that, "Sanatan Dharma has to be eradicated just like mosquitoes, malaria, dengue and corona."
A delegation of the Delhi BJP under the leadership of its President Virendra Sachdeva handed over the letter addressed to the Chief Minister to the Principal Resident Commissioner at the Tamil Nadu House.
"It is with deep distress that we write this letter to you to condemn the statement of your son and a Minister for Sports in your government, Udhayanidhi Stalin, calling for eradication of Sanatan Dharma."
"Udhayanidhi is not just your son, he is a Minister who has sworn allegiance to the Constitution of India which does not permit a Minister to hurt religious sentiments or belief of any Indian," read the memorandum undersigned by the Delhi BJP Chief, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, MPs and other office bearers.
It further said, "It is shocking to note that your son congratulated the organiser for naming the conclave as Sanatan Abolishing Conclave instead of calling it Opposing Sanatan Conference. Udhayanidhi Stalin didn't end at this and comparing Sanatan Dharma to diseases like dengue and malaria called for its eradication."
"We therefore request you to intervene in the matter and ask your son to immediately take back his statement and apologise to 100 crore Sanatan Dharmi Indians. Any further delay by him in taking back his statement will mean that your tacit support is behind him," they wrote in the memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister Stalin.
Talking to reporters, Sachdeva, while slamming the remarks of the Tamil Nadu Minister said, "The anti-Hindu thinking of the I.N.D.I. Alliance has come in front of everyone."
He also asked Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal to clarify his stand over the remarks of Udhayanidhi's remarks.
Later in the evening, the Delhi BJP Chief along with leaders and party workers of Delhi prayed at the Uttara Swami Malai temple at R.K. Puram for better "sense" to prevail upon Udhayanidhi.
"Tamil Nadu is the land of Lord Rameshwaram and Devi Meenakshi apart from other Hindu temples and a statement seeking eradication of Sanatan Dharma coming from the son of a Chief Minister of that state is shocking and condemnable," Sachdeva said.
He added, "We have come here to pray for better sense to prevail upon Udhayanidhi Stalin.This statement will ensure end of DMK in Tamil Nadu and countrywide collapse of I.N.D.I.A. alliance in which DMK is a big participant."
Earlier this morning, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad asked the Opposition leaders -- Rahul Gandhi, Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav why they are silent on remarks made by Udhayanidhi and also accused them of doing "vote bank" politics.
On Sunday, the BJP had termed the statement of the Tamil Nadu state minister as "parasitic" behaviour and shameful, adding it was a case of hate speech.
--IANS
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