Congress’ Udit Raj supports Udhayanidhi Stalin in Sanatana Dharma controversy

Congress leader Udit Raj supports Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks on Sanatana Dharma, questions PM Modi on which side of debate he wants to be on

Even as the Congress distanced itself from DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks about Sanatana Dharma, Congress leader and a former Delhi MP Udit Raj supported the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s son, saying that his remarks espoused an “established belief of the Dravidian movement which stems from the Self-Respect Movement of E. Ramaswamy Periyar”.

Mr. Raj is the second Dalit leader in Congress now to have publicly supported Mr. Stalin after Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge had earlier done so. 

“Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that does not ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion according to me. Any religion that does not have equal rights and does not treat you as a human being is as good as a disease,” Mr. Priyank Kharge had said.

In a letter to the PM Narendra Modi, copies of which he made public on Thursday, Mr. Raj went on to question Mr. Modi about which side of the debate he wanted to be on as the leader of the country. 

He asked Mr. Modi why his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was attacking the INDIA alliance over the DMK leader’s remarks when NDA ally AIADMK also considers Periyar a pioneer. “Your party is not demanding an explanation from AIADMK on Periyar’s views,” he said, adding, “You and your party want to take political advantage in North India by heating up this controversy.”

Mr. Raj went on to say that this was an attempt to avoid a discussion on the caste census and real partnership of people from marginalised backgrounds in positions of power. 

The former North-West Delhi MP said senior leaders of the BJP such as Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath have made public remarks taking pride in their “Kshatriya” caste and even called Hanuman a Dalit.