Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has once again voiced a call for the "eradication" of Sanatana Dharma, stating it is a force that "separated people." The remarks, made on Tuesday within the Tamil Nadu Assembly, have reignited a political firestorm. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly condemned the statement, with spokesperson CR Kesavan labeling it a "toxic rant."
The Supreme Court has issued a directive preventing the registration of any further criminal cases against Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks on Sanatana Dharma without prior court permission. This order came as the court heard Stalin's plea to consolidate multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against him across various states. The interim order, preventing further cases, is set to continue. Stalin's previous comments had drawn parallels between eradicating Sanatana Dharma and combating diseases like dengue and malaria.
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Stalin’s recent statements echo sentiments he has expressed previously. In a separate instance, November 21, 2025, he also drew criticism from the BJP when he referred to Sanskrit as a "dead language," prompting Tamilisai Soundararajan of the BJP to state that no language should be insulted.
The discourse surrounding Sanatana Dharma has been framed by comparisons to historical critiques. Some analyses suggest that Stalin’s commentary, while controversial, is less severe than criticisms leveled by figures such as Ambedkar or Periyar, whose critiques were described as both intellectual and political, extending to cultural spheres. The ongoing debate often sees the terms Sanatana Dharma and Hinduism used interchangeably, further complicating the discourse.
