Minister for Tamil Nadu Udhayanidhi Stalin, who has drawn criticism for his divisive “Sanatana Dharma” statement, declared that he would not retract it and that it is consistent with the positions taken by Periyar and BR Ambedkar.
“I stood strong with my statement on Sanatana Dharma. I won’t back down from my statement. I will face it legally. I didn’t speak more than what Ambedkar and Periyar have spoken,” Udhayanidhi Stalin said at a press conference speaking on the Madras High Court Judge Justice G Jayachandran’s observation on the case.
Udhayanidhi said that party positions or positions in the government do not matter much to him and it is important to be “human” first.
“Today the position of the Minister, MLA and Youth Wing Secretary will be there and tomorrow it may not be there. More than everything, we have to be humans first,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu Minister who is also the son of Chief Minister MK Stalin said that they have been speaking on the Sanatana issue for centuries.
We have been discussing the Sanatana issue for centuries, and it is a lengthy one. We will oppose it at any time,” Udhayanidhi declared. The Tamil Nadu Minister’s statementsfollowing Judge G Jayachandran of the Madras High Court’s admonition to those in positions of authority not to make such statements “This Court believes that those in positions of authority should be aware of the risk that their words may ignite fissiparous tendencies, act responsibly, and refrain from spreading ideas that will drive people apart on the basis of ideology, caste, or religion,” the judge said.