"Highly condemnable, shows poor thinking...": Uttarakhand CM Dhami slams INDIA alliance over 'Sanatan Dharma' row

Sep 14, 2023

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 14 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday accused the INDIA alliance's wish to end 'Sanatan Dharma'.
CM Dhami, while comenting on DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's 'Sanatana Dharma' remark, said, "This remark is highly condemnable. It shows the poor thinking of the INDIA alliance...In 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the public will teach them a lesson..."
He further said, "Members of the INDIA alliance are continuously speaking against 'Sanatan Dharma'. They want to end 'Sanatan Dharma'. The big partners in this alliance - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav are not condemning such statements. It means that the whole alliance is together on this." 
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Thursday accused the Opposition bloc- INDIA of “bullying the media” and “threatening individual journalists”. In his post on X, JP Nadda also came down heavily on Congress, alleging that the grand old party has several instances of ‘silencing’ those with differing views.
“The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views. Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticised him. Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it- called for committed judiciary, committed bureaucracy and imposed the horrific Emergency,” Nadda said. 
He further said that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi tried to bring media under state control but failed “miserably”. 
“Sonia Ji-led UPA was banning social media handles simply because the Congress did not like their views,” he added. 
Hitting out at the Opposition bloc- INDIA, Nadda said that the alliance has only two things to do.
“BASHING SANATANA SANSKRITI - each party is competing to outdo the other in hurling the choicest abuses towards Sanatana Sanskriti. BULLYING THE MEDIA- filing FIRs, threatening individual journalists, making “lists” in true Nazi style of who to target,” he added. 
Nadda also said that the newly formed Opposition should stop “their antics” immediately. “INDIA Alliance should stop their antics immediately. They should instead focus on constructive work and serving people. Else, the path to obscurity will get even clearer,” he added. 
Notably, there are some reports that the Opposition INDIA bloc will boycott a group of television anchors and shows. The leaders will come up with a list of anchors whose debates and shows the Opposition leaders would boycott. 
However, JP Nadda is in Pune to attend a three-day coordination meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which will begin today. As per the official release of the organisation, as many as 36 organizations affiliated with the Sangh are taking part in the annual conclave attended by top RSS leaders.