New Delhi: Amid the controversy in India over anti-Sanatan Dharma remarks by Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress's Priyank Kharge, a city in the United States has declared September 3 as Sanatan Dharma Day. The Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky in the United States of America (USA) has declared September 3 as Sanatan Dharma Day in the city.

An official proclamation in this regard was read by Deputy Mayor Barbara Sexton Smith on behalf of Mayor Craig Greenberg during the Mahakumbh Abhishekam celebration at the Hindu Temple of Kentucky in Louisville. The event was attended by spiritual leader Chidananda Saraswati, president of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Bhagwati Saraswati, as well as Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, Deputy Chief of Staff Keisha Dorsey and many other spiritual leaders and dignitaries.

Anti-Sanatan Dharma statements by opposition leaders in India:-

Let us tell you that Udhayanidhi Stalin, a minister in the cabinet of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's son and father, during a program in Tamil Nadu on Saturday compared Sanatan Dharma to diseases like dengue and malaria and said to eliminate it completely. He had said, 'Just as we do not oppose dengue and malaria, we eliminate them, in the same way instead of opposing Sanatan Dharma, we will have to eliminate it completely.' Congress MPs Karti Chidambaram and Lakshmi Ramachandran had supported this statement of Udhayanidhi. At the same time, Priyank Kharge, son of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and minister in the Karnataka government, also supported Udhayanidhi's statement. At the same time, DMK leader A Raja had said that Sanatan Dharma should be compared with AIDS. He had said, 'Udayanidhi Stalin has shown humility by comparing it with dengue and malaria.'

It is also worth noting that, none of the 26 parties in the opposition alliance INDIA has publicly opposed Udhayanidhi's statement nor demanded him to withdraw his statement, claiming to open a love shop. Rahul Gandhi is also silent on this issue. Only BJP is opposing Udhayanidhi and demanding action against him. Even Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction), which does Hindutva politics, thought it appropriate to maintain silence on Udhayanidhi's statement, perhaps Uddhav Thackeray does not want to upset his INDIA alliance partners. 

However, when the controversy escalated, Udhayanidhi clarified that he was talking about social equality, i.e. casteism. But, the thing to be noted is that Prime Minister Modi, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and many leaders of various parties have been talking about eradicating casteism, it is seen as an effort for social reform and there is no controversy, but When there is talk of destroying the entire religion and the leaders (some Congress leaders support Udhayanidhi) also support it, then it is definitely a matter of spreading hatred. That is why, many former judges, IAS officers (262 distinguished citizens) have written a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud urging him to take suo motu cognizance of Udhayanidhi's statement and take action. 

It is also worth noting that, if it had been said to destroy any other religion in this way, would it have happened, which is happening in the case of Udayanidhi? Because, casteism is there in every religion, in Islam also there are 72 sects (73 in some places) along with Shia-Sunni, many of which are opposed to each other, while Christians have Protestants – Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, Jehovah Witnesses. There is mutual opposition. So, can Udhayanidhi talk about ending these religions completely in order to improve the society? Or the only religion in the world that follows the principles of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole world is one family), Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah (May all be happy), which believes that God is one and that all people worship Him in different forms. Yes, will target only that Sanatan?     

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