Priyank Kharge, a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Karnataka, condemned the death threat and bounty issued against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks regarding ‘Sanatan Dharma.’ Kharge emphasized the need for democratic dialogue, stating, “This is the beauty of India; anyone can speak about anything democratically, but they do have to keep everyone’s sentiments in mind. But if you are going to issue a death threat to anybody who says anything, what is the difference between you and the other radicals? You are proving them right.”
He further questioned the radical response, saying, “Just because somebody said something, and you are going to issue a death threat and put a bounty on them of 10 crores, how different are you from the other radicals? Doesn’t your religion teach mercy, or equality?”
Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya had announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks against ‘Sanatan Dharma.’ In response, Kharge stressed his commitment to the constitution, adding, “I believe in the constitution. My religion is a constitution because it preserves the dignity of a human being, it preaches equality and it preaches for equal economic and social rights. That’s all I stand for.”
Regarding the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, Kharge criticized it as a diversion and questioned its implications. He said, “One nation, one election is nothing but a diversion from the INDIA alliance. There is a huge requirement of the security deployment… If your mandate is favorable to you, it is good. If not favorable to you, it is a manufactured mandate you want to get.”
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks calling for the eradication of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ had sparked controversy, leading to death threats and condemnations from various quarters.
