Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan lent his support to DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over the ongoing Sanatan row. The Supreme Court Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking registration of an FIR against Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and others over his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark, which the petitioner likened to hate speech. Udhayanidhi Stalin had compared the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria.
Addressing a party meet, the actor-turned-politician without naming Udhayanidhi, said that a 'young child' is being "hounded" for his remark on Sanatan Dharma. Indicating that there is nothing new about the minister's remark on Sanatan Dharma, the actor implied that several leaders of the Dravidian movement such as Udhayanidhi's grandfather and late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi have also spoken about it in the past.
Haasan said the extent of reformist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy's anger against social ills can be understood from the leader's life. He said people like himself understood the word 'Sanatan' only due to Periyar. Though Periyar had been the administrator of a temple and had even performed puja while in Kashi, he gave up all that and dedicated his entire life in the service of people, Haasan said.
