Chennai: The BJP Tamil Nadu unit has slammed State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy for his remarks that the opposition INDIA alliance was forged as an "opposition to Sanatan ideology," saying the DMK was trying to divide people on religious lines for electoral gains.
Parties like the Congress and Left were aiding DMK, the BJP alleged.
Ponmudy's remarks show the "cat is out of the bag," the saffron party's TN Vice-President Narayanan Thirupathy said in a social media post.
He was responding to a viral video of Ponmudy, a senior DMK leader, at a recent anti-Sanatan Dharma conference here that the multi-party INDIA bloc has been created against Sanatan ideology.
"This INDIA (bloc) is an alliance created in opposition to Sanatan ideology. There may be differences of opinion (among its constituents) but there is no divergence in opposing Sanatan. Those (parties) in this (grouping) want to create equality, safeguard minorities, protect gender equality," Ponmudy was heard saying in the video.
"This is the social thinking of these 26 parties that have created the INDIA alliance. This is their motive," Ponmudy added.
Incidentally, DMK leader and Chief Minister M K Stalin's son Udhayanidhi, also a cabinet member, had made remarks against Sanatan Dharma in the same conference, sparking a row.
Thirupathy shared the video clip showing Ponmudy making these remarks on his X social media handle and said "the DMK alliance is conspiring to divide the country on religious lines."
"Ponmudy has said this (remarks regarding INDIA alliance) at a meeting titled "Sanatana Dhrama Abolition Conference." What should be seen (inferred) specifically is that to protect the minorities, Sanatan policies must be eradicated," he said in a video.
This means to "abolish Hindu religious practices; to oppose Sanatan means to oppose Hinduism, hurt the practices of Hindus, eradicate Hindu practices...this shows how communal they are," he said in an apparent reference to the opposition alliance.
"The cat is out of the bag-- their conspiracy is to create a coordinated attack on Hindus during the Lok sabha polls," he alleged.
Referring to Ponmudy's remarks, he claimed to protect minorities means "attack the majority, their beliefs and this we can understand easily."
He alleged the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and its allies-- Congress and the Left would carry out a campaign against Hindus and their beliefs, especially among the minorities, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He asserted Sanatan refers to Hindu religious practices only. "The DMK is trying to divide people on the basis of religion and the Congress, Communists and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) are aiding it in that. They want to divide the country on religious lines and assume power. A conspiracy is being hatched for this, we will break it," he said.
BJP president J P Nadda alleged that this attack on Sanatan Dharma was orchastrated by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Shobha Karandlaje said appealed Hindus to wake up and show the power of Sanatana Dharma.
BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad targeted the Congress leadership saying the longer Sonia Gandhi maintains silence over the matter the more it will be clear that opposing Sanatan Dharma is part of the INDIA bloc's common minimum programme.
Prasad seized on a recent comment by a DMK leader that it is the bloc's agenda to oppose Sanatan Dharma, and said what the Tamil Nadu leader has said is right.
"The BJP will urge this alliance to come out with a categorical resolution that we completely disassociate ourselves (from DMK's criticism) and this is not our agenda," he said at a press conference.
With the DMK linking Sanatan Dharma with the practice of caste discrimination among Hindus to justify its criticism, the BJP leader noted that temples dedicated to revered people from backward castes like Shabir, Kewat and saint Ravidas have been built. The Sanatan Dharma believes that one irrespective of his caste and community background can attain God with their devotion, he claimed.
The Congress has maintained that it believes in respecting every faith.
Hitting back, Prasad said while opposition leaders from those in the DMK to some in parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party have been vocal in criticising Sanatan Dharma and holy books associated with Hinduism, can they summon courage to criticise other faiths and their holy figures.
India's culture and heritage are being insulted everyday, he said, asserting that the BJP will reach out to villages across the country over the issue and spoke of vikas (development) and virasat (heritage).
Why this "shameful denigration" of Sanatan, he said, claiming the country will not tolerate insult to it.
He also spoke of the prominence given to the Konark Chakra and ancient Nalanda University during the recent G20 Summit meeting hosted by India.
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