‘Sanatana Dharma divides, must be ‘abolished’:Udhayanidhi says Tamil Nadu state song must always come first

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday, 12 May, renewed his controversial call for the abolition of Sanatana Dharma, saying the belief system divides people and should be eradicated. In his maiden address as Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader also criticised the order of events at the new government’s swearing-in ceremony and said the opposition would not allow the marginalisation of ‘Tamil Thai Vazhthu’, the state’s invocation song. “Sanatana Dharma, which divides the people, must certainly be abolished,” Udhayanidhi said during his speech in the Assembly. Repeats 2023 remarks In 2023, Udhayanidhi sparked a major controversy after comparing Sanatana Dharma to ‘dengue’ and ‘malaria’ and saying it should not merely be opposed, but eradicated. Speaking at a ‘Sanatana Abolition Conference’, he said Sanatana Dharma was incompatible with social justice and equality. ALSO READ | ‘Stalin’s statement on Sanatan is hate speech,’ says Madras HC “Some things cannot simply be opposed; they must be abolished. We cannot oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or coronavirus, we must eradicate them. That is how we must eradicate Sanatana,” he said, according to ANI. “Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated. The term ‘Sanatana’ is derived from Sanskrit. It is against social justice and equality,” he said. The remarks triggered a nationwide political storm and led to multiple complaints and court cases filed by Hindu organisations. The DMK leader said at the time that he was prepared to face any legal challenges arising from his comments. “I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such routine saffron threats. We, the followers of Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar, will continue to fight to uphold social justice and build an egalitarian society,” he said. Row over state invocation song Udhayanidhi said the Tamil invocation song was placed third in the sequence during the recent swearing-in ceremony instead of being given its customary prominence. He described the change as a serious lapse that had angered many people across the state. “Such an incident during your government’s swearing-in ceremony was a mistake, and it should not be allowed to happen again in this Assembly. We will not permit it,” he said. Tamil Thai Vazhthu must always come first The opposition leader said “Tamil Thai Vazhthu” should receive top priority not only in the Assembly but at all government and public events held in Tamil Nadu. “I request this government to ensure that this is never compromised. We must be very vigilant in protecting our rights and traditions,” he said. His remarks underscored the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s continued emphasis on Tamil identity, language, and cultural traditions. ​