My Sanatana Dharma Comment 'Mischievously Twisted By BJP For Political Gains': Udhayanidhi Stalin At ABP Summit

ABP Southern Rising Summit 2023: Udhayanidhi Stalin also accused the 'North Indian media' of being 'prejudiced in its perception of Tamil Nadu' & painting grim picture of the state as being 'divisive'

ABP Southern Rising Summit 2023: Weeks after his statement on Sanatana Dharma created a furore in the country, Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin spoke about the controversy for the first time as he presented his keynote address at ABP Network's Southern Rising Summit held in Chennai Thursday. Udhayanidhi said his statement was "mischievously twisted" by the BJP for "political gains".

He also accused the "North Indian media" of inaccurately portraying his statement. The minister said the media up north was "prejudiced in its perception of Tamil Nadu". "Instead of showcasing our success stories and uniqueness, a few northern India media paint a grim picture of the state as being divisive. We are not divisive. We are great, patriots, and second to none," he said.

Citing the example of media "falling prey to the malicious designs of some selfish political parties, like the BJP", Udhayanidhi said: "Recently, I spoke about the importance of creating an equal society without caste discrimination. My statement was mischievously twisted, and falsely spread by the BJP for cheap political gains. Instead of exposing the falsehood of the BJP and the truth in my statement, the media, espeically the North Indian media, organised exhaustive debates for almost ten days. It was worrisome to see the media fall for some malicious political designs, instead of speaking the truth to power."            

In his speech, the Tamil Nadu minister also accused the central government of interfering in the affairs of non-BJP-ruled states.

He also stressed on his state's development and highlighted Tamil Nadu's contribution to the central government. He explained how the DMK government in the state was prioritising education, healthcare, and industry, and claimed that the development of South India, including Tamil Nadu, has been significant over the last 50 years.

Udhayanidhi referred to Tamil Nadu as the first state to introduce an IT policy and accused the Modi government of using independent investigative agencies against opposition parties across the country. He alleged that the central government was encroaching on the rights of South Indian states.