‘Who is asking for your opinion?’: Chilkur temple head priest slams political parties over Sanatana Dharma row

Sep 04, 2023

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 4 : Slamming all political parties over the ongoing Sanatana Dharma row, the head priest of Telangana’s Chilkur Balaji Temple Rangarajan on Monday asked whether all parties are having a partnership to denigrate ‘Sanatana Dharma’.
Referring to Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge’s statement, Rangarajan said that each of the party leaders is saying different things but who is asking for the opinion of these parties on Santana Dharma?
Priyank Kharge on Monday spoke on Udhayanidhi Stalin's 'Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated' remark and said that any religion that does not promote equality or does not treat you like humans is as good as a disease.
"A serious question to all the political parties. Are you all having a partnership in denigrating Sanatana Dharma? This person Udhayanidhi Stalin has told something nonsensical. The best thing would have been to say that you are dissociating with the opinion of Udhayanidhi Stalin,” Priest Rangarajan said.
Further, he said, “Each of you is coming and saying different things like we support, this could be that, Sanatana Dharma is this, Sanatana means that. Who is asking for your opinion? Sanatana Dharma is Dharma of Sri Rama. Sri Rama is Dharma. Dharma is Sri Rama. Part 3 of our Constitution had Srirama, Lakshman and Sita Devi depicted on the original Constitution.”
Rangarajan also challenged the parties to clearly come out and say if they want Sanatana Dharma or not.
“It was under debate in the Constituent Assembly and the objective resolution had clearly mentioned that Rama Rajya has to be protected and Sanatana Dharma has to be protected. Are you all saying that those people who gave their kingdoms during unification of India, knew that Sanatana Dharma has to be demolished by a person like Udhayanidhi Stalin and a group of people like you? If you want to say openly that we don’t want Sanatana Dharma or any other religious institutions, you have to clearly say it,” Rangarajan said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier today said that Congress and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders should apologise for the remarks made by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatan Dharma.
"Congress ally DMK is insulting Sanatan Dharma. They say that Sanatan Dharma should be abolished. Allies of the INDIA coalition have kept silent on this. Why is Gehlot ji silent, and Sonia ji silent? Congress and INDIA should apologize,” he said.
Udhayanidhi Stalin has come under severe criticism since he mentioned on Saturday that Sanatan Dharma should not merely be opposed but eradicated.
However, the DMK leader said that he spoke condemning the caste differences adding that BJP is twisting his statement and spreading fake news on this issue.
“Day before yesterday I spoke at a function about it (Sanatana Dharma). Whatever I said, I'll repeat the same thing again and again...I included all the religions and not just Hindus...I spoke condemning the caste differences that's all,” Udhayanidhi Stalin told reporters.