Sanatan Dharma 'hate speech': Udhayanidhi Stalin adds fuel to fire, cryptically posts burning mosquito coil on X

Days after comparing Sanatan Dharma with vector-borne diseases dengue and malaria, Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin Monday posted a picture of a burning mosquito coil on X.

Though the post by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son does not have any caption, the picture of a burning mosquito coil has once again sparked controversy among political parties.

pic.twitter.com/Xvud6n36J3

— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) September 11, 2023

Udhayanidhi Stalin remains defiant

The post appears that the junior Stalin continues to rake up the Sanatan Dharma controversy. The post comes hours ahead of BJP's protest led by BJP state president K Annamalai. The protest will be held across Tamil Nadu against Stalin and will also demand that the offices of Hindu Charitable Department be blocked in all the districts of the state.

The BJP has been seeking apology by Udhayanidhi, but the tweet by the DMK leader appears to be an indirect way of him saying that he stands by what he said on Sanatan Dharma.

The tweet also comes after his statement over the weekend where he said that he will continue to speak against Sanatan Dharma even if it costs the state government dissolve.

BJP reacts to Udhayanidhi's burning mosquito coil

"DMK has always been an anti-Hindu party and they continue to be the same. Only during elections, the leaders of this party throng to the temples and posts photos and videos, otherwise throughout the time they are in power, they always involve themselves in the minority appeasement," Tamil Nadu BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam said.

"DMK believes attacking majority community of the country, putting them down and insulting them just because Hindus are tolerant and have been taught by the religion to stay tolerant, they take advantage of the factor and forgetting minority votes of the state. They have been attacking Hindus and it is not new," Selvam said.

'Udhayanidhi is desperate for attention'

AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan reacted to the latest post by Udhayanidhi and said: "It is in DNA of DMK to attack believe and sentiments of the majority. Udhayanidhi is following footsteps of his father and grandfather."

"Udhayanidhi going all over shows he wants to get elevated as the leader in the minds of the people. It is his desperation to get attention," Sathyan said.

On Sunday Udhayanidhi described BJP as "a poisonous snake that needs to be chased out of Tamil Nadu".

At a family wedding of DMK legislator Sabha Rajendran at Neyveli in Cuddalore district on Sunday, Udhayanidhi hit out at BJP ally AIADMK too, likening the party to "a garbage mound that shelters the snake".

"The garbage too should be cleared," he said.

"The snake slithers into our house from the garbage. If we need to eliminate the snake, we must ensure there is no garbage. So, people should be ready to remove the BJP and the AIADMK from Tamil Nadu in 2024," he said.

"We sent the slaves packing in the 2021 assembly election. We should send their masters home in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Udhayanidhi said.

Udhayanidhi said he would continue to speak against Sanatan Dharma in future. "There have been voices raised against Sanatana dharma for the past 100 years in Tamil Nadu. We will continue to speak for the next 200 years too," he said.

Udhayanidhi even said that his remarks on Sanatana were not new. On multiple occasions in the past, B R Ambedkar, Periyar (DK founder E V Ramasamy) and M Karunanidhi (former DMK patriarch) had spoken about it.