Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scathing attack on the Opposition alliance over DMK leaders’ remarks against Sanatana Dharma has set the tone for the ruling party’s campaign in the next round of elections. Modi accused the INDIA grouping of “dividing the country and society.”
BJP president J.P. Nadda too accused the Opposition of twin agenda, bashing Sanatana sanskriti and bullying the media. The BJP has been pinning the blame of DMK leaders’ statements, particularly on Udhayanidhi Stalin’s against Sanatana Dharma, on the Congress leadership asking Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to respond. The BJP has been questioning the alleged silence of the other leaders of the alliance over the remarks.
Even during the special session of the parliament, when the INDIA alliance is expected to attack the government over various issues, the BJP may counter them with Sanatana dharma issue.
Modi spoke about the issue for the first time when being on a tour to Madhya Pradesh to lay the foundation stone for various infrastructural projects. Modi has given a clear-cut line of attack to the party which will be used aggressively during the polls.
Prime Minister said the INDIA alliance have a hidden agenda and there was confusion among them on picking up their leader. He said the alliance had decided on the agenda during their Mumbai meeting and they want to destroy Sanatan. He referred to the cultural icons like Ahaliya Bai, Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi and Rani Laxmibai, who entrenched their work in Sanatan culture. “The Opposition wants to destroy the same Sanatan. This Sanatan has kept India connected for thousands of years. Every Sanatani should beware them,” Modi said.
Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin, had sparked off massive controversy when he called for the eradication of Sanatan dharma for its intrinsic divisions of caste. His remarks have put many parties of the INDIA alliance on the back foot as they distanced themselves from his remarks, lest they are understood to be against the Hindu religion.
Both sides have accused each other of polarising the issue with an eye on the elections. The issue is only set to gain further traction in the coming days as the campaign in Hindi heartland states- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh picks up.
