Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the remark on Sanatana Dharma by DMK chief MK Stalin's minister son shows that the Opposition bloc INDIA "hates Hinduism".
He also said it shows that it is "an attack on our heritage".
Shah made these comments while speaking at Dungarpur in poll-bound Rajasthan at the launch of BJP's Parivartan Yatra.
He alleged the remarks by Udhayanidhi Stalin are part of INDIA bloc's "vote bank politics" and "appeasement" tactic.
The Home Minister's remarks come amid a huge row over remarks by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's son Udhayanidhi.
Earlier, Udhayanidhi Stalin sparked a row after he compared Sanatana dharma with "dengue" and "malaria".
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He said that it should not just be opposed, but "eradicated".
Udhayanidhi Stalin has said Sanatana dharma is against social justice and equality.
"Few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria or corona. We have to eradicate this. That's how we have to eradicate Sanatana," he was quoted by news agency ANI as having said.
"Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated. The name Sanatana is from Sanskrit. It is against social justice and equality," said Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is a Tamil Nadu minister.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya hit out at Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatana dharma and said he was "calling for the genocide of 80 per cent of the population".
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"Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, and a minister in the DMK government, has linked Sanatana dharma to malaria and dengue. He is of the opinion that it must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for the genocide of 80 per cent population of Bharat, who follow Sanatana dharma. DMK is a prominent member of the Opposition block and a long-standing ally of the Congress. Is this what was agreed in the Mumbai meet?" Amit Malviya wrote on X.
Notably, the DMK is a part of the Opposition bloc, INDIA, whose leaders recently met in Mumbai to chalk out strategies in a bid to take on the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Udhayanidhi Stalin issues clarification:
Udhayanidhi Stalin said he never called for the "genocide" of people who were Sanatana dharma followers.
"Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats. We, the followers of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, would fight forever to uphold social justice and establish an egalitarian society under the able guidance of our Chief Minister MK Stalin," Udhayanidhi Stalin said.
"I will say it today, tomorrow and forever -- our resolve to stop Sanatana dharma from the Dravidian land would not reduce even a bit," he said.
