"Ask your father...": Chilkur Balaji temple priest slams Udhayanidhi over his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 3 : The head priest of Chilkur Balaji temple, Rangarajan, on Sunday called on the people of Tamil Nadu to remove the Dravidian party from power and elect someone who believes in the temple system and Sanata Dharma.
The statement of Chilkur Balaji temple's priest came in response to Tamil Nadu Minister Uddhayanidhi Stalin's latest remark on Santan Dharma at the 'Sanatan Abolition Conference'.
Rangarajan expressed strong disappointment over Udhayanidhi's remark and suggested him to ask his father (MK Stalin) about the history of Sanatan Dharma.
In a video message, Rangarajan, along with other priests of the temple, said, "We have seen the statement of Uddhayanidhi Stalin, who is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the cabinet minister in the MK Stalin government. He is comparing Sanatan Dharma to malaria, coronavirus, and dengue. First of all, he is in a constitutional post. He is not supposed to speak nonsense or things like this, and he is also challenging that you people can go to any court. I am ready to face it. We'll not go to any court; why should we go to the court? We ask the people of Tamil Nadu and also Udhayanidhi Stalin to please read history and ask your father, under whom you have been trained."
He further said that Udhayanidhi should ask MK Stalin about who Ma Po Si was.
"Ask your father who was Mylai Ponnuswamy Sivagnanam, he was a great stalwart who has written a lot of books on Sillapati Khalam. You ask him about his opinion on Dravidianism. You ask your father about Mahaposhi and only then come back and talk about the Sanatan Dharma. If Mahaposhi was not respected and worshipped by Karunanidhi, he would not have been able to get any seats in Tamil Nadu. Please remember this fact," he added.
"Secondly, I want to tell the people of Tamil Nadu, you have had enough non-sensical things from these Dravidian parties; we now need to elect the person who believes in the temple system, who believes in Sanatan Dharma, Rama, and Ram Rajya," he added.
Rangarajan's statement came in response to Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi's remark, which he made while attending the "Sanatana Abolition Conference" on Saturday.
Comparing Sanatan Dharm to diseases like dengue, malaria, and corona, Udhyanidhi said, "Few things cannot be opposed; those should be abolished only. We can't oppose Dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or Corona; we have to eradicate them. That's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated," he said.
BJP's in-charge of National Information and Technology Dept, Amit Malviya, on X, slammed Udhayanidhi, saying that his speech shows that he is of the opinion that Sanatan Dharma must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for the genocide of 80 per cent of the population of Bharat who follow Sanatan Dharma.
"DMK is a prominent member of the opposition block and a long-standing ally of the Congress. Is this what was agreed upon in the Mumbai meeting?"  he questioned.
Responding to Amit Malviya's post, Udhayanidhi said, "I never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma. Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma means upholding humanity and human equality. I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed and marginalised, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma."
"I am ready to present the extensive writings of Periyar and Ambedkar, who conducted in-depth research on Sanatan Dharma and its negative impact on society, in any forum. Let me reiterate the crucial aspect of my speech: I believe, like the spread of diseases like COVID-19, dengue, and malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils. He added, "I am prepared to confront any challenges that come my way, whether in a court of law or the people's court. Stop spreading fake news."
Meanwhile, speaking to ANI in Bengaluru, Akhila Karnataka Brahmin Mahasabha's Raghvendra Bhat said, "No one can end Sanatan Dharma. Sanatan Dharma's vision is happiness and prosperity. If it ends, creation will end. Many religions have started and ended, but there is no end to Sanatana Dharma. All Hindus condemn his statements. He should apologise to the people of the country."