Chennai: TVK legislator Madhar Badhurudeen (V M S Mustafa) triggered a controversy on Thursday after backing Tamil Nadu LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on eradicating Sanatan Dharma, before later retracting his statement amid backlash.
Reacting to the controversy, Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the TVK is not against any religion but is opposed to inequality.
“Udhayanidhi Stalin does not know what Sanatan Dharma is. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is against the caste system and religious systems. We treat all religions equally. As a minister, and under our leader (CM Vijay), we respect all faiths,” Arjuna told reporters here.
He added that TVK opposes the caste system, not Hinduism.
“We are not against Hindus, but we are against Hindutva. In the North, Sanatan Dharma is often understood as Hinduism, while in the South, it is associated with inequality. We believe all faiths must be treated equally and are not against any religion,” Arjuna clarified, adding that Udhayanidhi was also against the caste system.
Mustafa issued a clarification after BJP leaders criticised him and the Joseph Vijay-led TVK government over his remark that “we are also in the field to eradicate Sanatan Dharma.” Condemning the remarks made in Madurai a day after the Vijay-led TVK government reportedly faced a floor test on May 13, BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy alleged that a Muslim elected representative speaking against Hinduism and calling for its eradication would “damage religious harmony”.
“Will Mustafa, who criticises Sanatan Dharma as a way of life, dare to criticise Islam or Christianity?” Thirupathy asked in a post on X.
He further alleged that such statements reflect arrogance of power.
“Chief Minister Vijay has so far not condemned either Udhayanidhi Stalin’s speech on Sanatan Dharma in the Assembly or the remarks made by TVK MLA Mustafa. For a CM who claims to represent all people, failing to condemn criticism of the majority community’s way of life does not befit the high office he holds,” he added.
Thirupathy said Sanatan Dharma is “eternal and everlasting.” “It has never been destroyed in the past, nor will it be destroyed in the future,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Madurai on May 12 about TVK’s prospects in the Assembly, Mustafa said the party would emerge victorious.
When asked about Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatan Dharma, the Madurai Central MLA said: “We in TVK follow the ideologies of Periyar E V Ramasamy and B R Ambedkar, and we oppose Sanatan Dharma.” On Thursday, Mustafa clarified on X that “we are not against any religion.” Udhayanidhi Stalin had earlier reiterated his controversial remarks in the Assembly, stating that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated.
BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam demanded that Vijay sack Mustafa to prove his commitment to secular values.
