As the issue of the anti-Hindu speech made by Udhayanidhi Stalin simmers down, DMK spokesperson Constantine Ravindran has given it a boost with a statement that could be interpreted as prejudiced, suggesting that people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar may lack common sense and intelligence due to the influence of Sanatana Dharma.

This comes amidst the ongoing debate surrounding Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks, where he equated Sanatana Dharma with diseases like Dengue, Malaria, and Corona, and called for its eradication. Udhayanidhi made these comments during the “Eradicate Sanatana Conclave” organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai, a communist ideological forum that has been organising such events quite often.

Following Udhayanidhi’s speech, various politicians, including DMK’s alliance partners such as Congress and Shiv Sena, along with some political commentators, have criticised it. The pressure on DMK has been mounting nationwide due to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s contentious remarks. A group of former judges, government officials, and war veterans jointly wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India, urging him to initiate suo motu proceedings in response to the hate speech delivered by DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

To add to this, DMK spokesperson Constantine Ravindran has further exacerbated the issue with a racist statement implying that individuals from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh may be uneducated and lack common sense and intelligence due to the prevalence of Sanatana Dharma.

Replying to a question asked by a journalist on whether Udhayanidhi’s remarks regarding the eradication of Sanatana Dharma would influence the votes of the I.N.D.I Alliance, Constantine Ravindran stated, “Definitely not. If I were to add, have they said anything in Karnataka, Andhra, Kerala? Nothing. In the northern states that you are talking about, has West Bengal accepted Sanatana? There was a communist government there. If they had accepted Sanatana, would there have been a communist government?”. He also added, “In the northern states you are talking about, UP and Bihar, Sanatana exists in these states. It is because of this Sanatana only they are uneducated. They don’t have any knowledge, they don’t have rational thinking about life. These states are just a small part, they won’t make any big difference for us.”

It is essential to highlight that Bihar is currently governed by Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) and Tejasvi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, both of whom are part of the I.N.D.I Alliance, which also includes the DMK as a member. The DMK spokesperson’s racially insensitive comment directed at the people of Bihar is likely to escalate tensions and strain relationships within the coalition, particularly with JDU and RJD. This internal discord is generating substantial doubt among political analysts about the alliance’s sustainability as the parliamentary elections approach next year.

Anti-Hindu speech by VCK member

In another alarming incident involving an I.N.D.I Alliance, a member of Thol. Thirumavalavan’s Viduthalai Siruthaigal Katchi (VCK) issued a threat to destroy the Sankara Matha in Kanchipuram.

This provocative statement from the VCK comes at a time when the controversy around DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s likening of Sanatana Dharma to diseases like Dengue, Malaria, and Corona, and his call for its eradication, has not yet subsided.

In a video that is making the rounds on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), an unidentified VCK member can be heard saying, “If the people, if the 100 of us gathered here come together, we will smash and destroy this Shankara Matha brick by brick completely. I am obliged to give this warning.”

He further added, “Fortunately, the police are here to provide security. It’s because of their protection that your religion is safe. If not for them, we would have reduced it to rubble by now.”

This is not the first time that the DMK or the VCK have made anti-Hindu statements or expressed such hostility towards Sanatana Dharma or threatened to destroy temples. During the “Eradicate Sanatana Conclave,” in which Udhayanidhi also participated, Thirumavalavan, the leader of VCK, urged Other Backward Castes(OBCs) to unite against the Forward Caste to eradicate Sanatana Dharma.

With I.N.D.I.Alliance members spewing such venom on Hindu Dharma, it is puzzling whether
the Congress party’s stance on the “Mohabbat ki dukan” remains valid. Uddhav Thackeray also recently hosted members who espouse these anti-Hindu sentiments in Mumbai. Many wonder what the late Balasaheb Thackeray would have thought about this situation. This incident raises serves as a stark reminder of the true nature of the I.N.D.I.Alliance.