New Delhi, Sep 4: Amid different voices within the Congress and INDIA bloc on DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks against Sanatan Dharma, the principal opposition party on Monday said it respects all religions and stressed that others also have the freedom to express their views.
The Congress’ reaction came as the BJP questioned the silence of its leaders on the issue and accused the opposition bloc of being against the Hindu religion. Union Minister Anurag Thakur alleged that INDIA alliance was stooping to “politics of polarisation”.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said while the Congress’ stand is clear, every other political party has the freedom to express its own view.
“Actually, our view is very clear – ‘Sarvadharma Sambhav’ (equal respect to all religions) is the Congress ideology. But, you have to understand that every political party has its own freedom to tell their views,” he said. “We are respecting everybody’s beliefs,” the Congress leader said.
Asked about the issue, Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and “is as good as a disease”.
“Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that doesn’t ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion, according to me. So it is as good as a disease,” Priyank, who is the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said.
Congress leader and former Union minister Karan Singh, however, termed the DMK leader’s statement as “preposterous” and “most unfortunate”.
“Thiru Udhayanidhi’s preposterous statement that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated is most unfortunate. Crores of people in this country follow, to a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma.
“Besides, the greatest Sanatan Dharma temples in the world are in Tamil Nadu – in Thanjavur, in Srirangam, in Thiruvannamalai, in Chidambaram, in Madurai, in Suchindram, in Rameshwaram and many more,” Singh said in a statement.
“It is shocking that a responsible politician should make this kind of a totally unacceptable statement. I have the highest regard for the magnificent Tamil culture but I take strong objection to the statement made by Thiru Udhayanidhi,” he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi attacked the BJP, accusing it of showing “fake concern” over Sanatan Dharm for its politics and termed it as hypocrisy. (PTI)
