The verbal war over the Sanatan Dharma row between the BJP and Opposition parties escalated on Tuesday, with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stating that anyone who speaks against Sanatan would have their tongue pulled out and eyes gouged out.
The BJP accused the Opposition alliance INDIA bloc of harbouring a hidden agenda to target Sanatan Dharma for its vote bank politics. Party president JP Nadda led a fresh charge and claimed that attacking the ancient faith is part of a well-thought-out strategy of the Congress and its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The ruling party at the Centre seized on DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy’s remarks that the INDIA bloc was forged as an “opposition to Sanatan ideology” to criticize the Opposition.
The Congress-led INDIA front suffered a setback on Tuesday again as Ponmudy said, “We, including the Congress and other constituents of the alliance, are unanimous in our conviction that Sanatana Dharma poses a serious threat to the country. Our intention is to liberate the country from this Dharma. The INDIA front is a step in the right direction.”
Ponmudy is the third leader from the same party to speak against Sanatan Dharma, following State Minister Udaynidhi Stalin and former Union Minister A Raja. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son, Priyank Kharge, who is a Minister in the Congress-led Karnataka Government, also voiced opposition against Sanatan Dharma, aligning with their partners in the DMK.
Responding to the BJP’s attacks on the Congress and the INDIA bloc over the row, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said her party believes in Sarva Dharma Sambhava (equal respect for all religions). “We do not need certificates from the BJP on nationalism, on Sanatan Dharma, and on the contribution to our freedom movement. Because, out of all these, their score is zero,” she said at the AICC Press conference.
Nadda said, “The Congress and the INDIA alliance should make their views clear and tell if the Constitution gives the right to make objectionable comments against any religion. Do INDIA alliance members not know the Constitutional provisions?”
The alliance, the Congress, Sonia, and Rahul should answer as to why “hate against Sanatan Dharma is being sold in the name of mohabbat ki dukan,” he said. This mega mall of hate is only for power, divide and rule, he alleged.
Reacting to the recent comments made by Udhayanidhi against Sanatan Dharma, Shekhawat said, “We have to stand up to the challenge. We will pull out the tongue of anyone who speaks against Sanatan. We will also gouge out those eyes raised against Sanatan.
“We challenge that no person who speaks against Sanatan will be able to maintain a political position and power in this country. They try to attack our culture and history.”
Shekhawat is said to be heard making the purported remarks that went viral on social media. He was speaking at a public rally in Barmer district of poll-bound Rajasthan last week during BJP’s Parivartan yatra.
Addressing a press conference, BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the country’s culture and heritage are being daily insulted while senior Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi are silent. Noting that Bihar Minister and RJD leader Chandra Shekhar and Samajwadi Party’s Swami Prasad Maura have repeatedly criticised Hindu holy books like Ramcharitmanas, Prasad said the leadership of these parties have maintained silence.
Such silence is an indication of approval, he said, making it clear that the BJP will go to the people on the issue after the agenda has been set by the Opposition. “We will talk of vikas (development) as well as virasat,” he said. India will not tolerate this insult to Sanatan, he said.
The more Sonia maintains silence over the matter, the clearer it will be that opposing Sanatan Dharma is part of the INDIA bloc’s common minimum programme, he alleged.
“Cat is out of the bag”, he said, explaining that the attack by the Opposition on Sanatan Dharma has revealed their true aims.
While Opposition leaders from those in the DMK to some in parties like the RJD and Samajwadi Party have been vocal in criticising Sanatan Dharma and holy books associated with Hinduism, can they summon the courage to criticise other faiths and their holy figures, he asked.
Asked about BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad’s allegations that the country’s culture and heritage are being insulted daily but senior Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi are silent, Shrinate said, “We do not need any certificate from anyone and especially from hypocrites who talk like this. We believe in the equality of all religions. I will not say anything more than this.”
But she refused to acknowledge BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat’s remarks in a video circulating on social media that anyone who speaks against Sanatan Dharma would have their tongue pulled out and eyes gouged out.
“Equality of all religions is the foundation of our country and we are people who believe in it,” she said.
AAP leader Raghav Chadha too condemned Stalin’s remark but said statements made by some “small” leader from any party cannot be considered the official stand of the INDIA bloc.
“I am from Sanatan Dharma. I condemn and oppose such statements. Such kind of statements should not be made. One should stay away from making such remarks on any religion. We should respect all religions,” Chadha told PTI in an interview.
“Some leader from some party makes such remarks... It doesn’t mean it is the statement of the alliance. The alliance has been formed for raising big issues like price rise, unemployment facing the country. The statement made by some small leader, while standing in a district in a state, is not the official stand of the alliance,” Chadha asserted.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai lashed out at DMK Parliamentarian A Raja for his purported remark that the “Hindu religion is a menace” and accused the ruling DMK of being the principal reason for creating caste divide and hatred among the people in the State.
On September 2, Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, had alleged that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and that it should be eradicated. He also likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue fever.
“(Congress president) Mallikarjun Kharge says that if Modi wins, Sanatan will become powerful, hence there is a need to defeat him. Two days ago, the DMK Chief Minister’s son made remarks against Sanatan. He (Udhayanidhi Stalin), while comparing it to coronavirus, says that Sanatan culture should be eliminated from the country,” the Jodhpur MP said. Shekhawat said that many invaders tried to weaken Indian culture for 2,000 years.
“Rulers like Alauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb tried but ancestors of yours and mine were capable and protected the culture. We swear by all those ancestors, whether it is Maharaja Surajmal, Veer Durgadas or Maharana Pratap, that we will not tolerate those who attack Sanatan. We will throw them away,” the Union Jal Shakti Minister said.
