Sep 8 – MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, delivered a forceful reaction on Thursday, defending his cabinet colleague and son, Udhayanidhi Stalin,’s remarks on ‘Sanatan Dharma,’ stating they were aimed at concepts that discriminate against Scheduled Castes, tribals, and women. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) politician claimed in a comprehensive statement that several Indian stalwarts, including Thanthai Periyar, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, and Babasaheb Ambedkar, had spoken out against regressive Sanatan ideas that “justify discrimination based on one’s birth.”
“Even as we launch Chandrayaan to the Moon, some people continue to propagate caste discrimination, emphasizing social stratification based on Varnashrama principles and citing sastras and other ancient texts to support their sectarian claims,” Stalin said.
“Udhayanidhi spoke out only against such oppressive ideologies and called to eradicate the practices based on those ideologies,” he added.
