The Opposition has granted BJP a controversy on the platter with Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, asserting that Sanatan Dharma is against the notion of social justice and must be "eradicated". Stretching the analogy further, he likened the creed to diseases like dengue and malaria, inviting sharp criticism from BJP leaders. Latching onto the statement, which could be godsend for the BJP just when elections in the Hindi heartland are around the corner, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was an attack ‘‘on our heritage" and shows that the Opposition bloc "hates Hinduism."
Shah digs onto remark in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh
Addressing a public meeting in Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur on Sunday, Shah asked the crowd if people were ready to accept Udhayanidhi’s remarks on eradicating the Sanatan Dharma. These people have insulted ‘Sanatan Dharma’ and are talking about finishing it off for appeasement and vote bank politics, the BJP leader said. (Shah’s statement resonated in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh)
“Is this the political strategy that the INDIA alliance drew up two days ago in Mumbai?” Shah was here to flag off the second Parivartan Yatra of Rajasthan BJP that will cover 52 assembly constituencies of Udaipur and Kota divisions in the next 19 days. Widening the ambit of his attack, Shah recalled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 2010 remark in which he had likened radical Hindu outfits to terrorist organizations and said that they were a bigger threat than Lashkar-e-Taiba.
"They also say there will be Sanatan rule if Modi wins"
Shah also alluded to former Home Minister and Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde’s remark that the BJP and the RSS were fanning ‘Hindu terrorism,'’ to suggest that these comments were not off the cuff but were part of a well-thought out political gambit. Coming back to Sanatan Dharma, Shah insisted it rules the hearts of people. "They also say there will be Sanatan rule if Modi wins,’’ he added, even as he clarified that PM Modi has underlined that India will be run as per the Constitution.
Accusing the Congress of blocking the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Union Home Minister said, "The grand Ram temple will be ready in January at Lord Ram's birthplace. INDIA alliance cannot stop it. Congress had blocked it for years.” Shah recounted the incidents of communal violence during the last five years in Rajasthan and accused the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government of making the state hostage to vote bank politics.
He attacked Gehlot and said ‘‘he is scared of a ‘Lal Diary’ which has the details of his government's corruption and black deeds.’’ The BJP is taking out four pre-poll Parivartan Yatras from four prominent religious places in the state. The first of these Yatras was flagged off by BJP president JP Nadda from Trinetra Ganesh Temple in Sawai Madhopur on Saturday, and the second by Shah on Sunday, while the remaining two yatras will start in the next two days from Ramdevra and Gogamedi temples
