Will Sanatan row give mileage to BJP in Assembly elections?

By Bhavana ‘Aparajita’

Shukla

Although more than one month has passed when DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Sanatan Dharma remark. However, the effects of that are still felt in one way or the other. Amid election preparations, the main opposition Congress party in distanced itself from the issue. But, the ruling party BJP has continued attacking Congress for allegedly working against Sanatan Dharma since Stalin, whose Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), one of the main constituents of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), made the comment. Keeping the row alive, on Saturday, the BJP State President and MP, V D Sharma came down heavily on Congress. In his fierce statement, he said “(pointing towards Congress and INDIA Alliance) hidden agenda is to destroy Sanatan Dharma. people will teach a lesson to the Congress, he said. It is a land of Sanatani people. MP’s soil is the place where Sanatani devote their life. 9.5 crore people belong to Sanatan here. Our people will give a lesson to those who oppose Sanatan and used to call Sanatan a disease. Anti-Sanatan mentality of Congress and INDIA coalition will not be allowed to enter the state. Notably, our sources suggest that V D Sharma may contest election from Jabalpur.

Stalin’s Sanatan Dharma remark had put Congress in a tough spot in the State, and our reports suggest that the party had to cancel the rally of INDIA here. Instead the party had launched Jan Aakrosh Yatra to counter Sanatan controversy. Congress raised the issue of corruption in Mahakal Lok and Omkareshwar issue. But BJP again swung into action. Going a step ahead, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled a 108-feet-high statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar. Adi Guru is credited with restoring Sanatan Dharma’s glory in the eighth century.

Talking to ‘The Hitavada’, Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma said “BJP is trying to create diversion using Sanatan Dharma.”

But it is being seen that in the State the Congress is trying to distance itself from the controversy. As the Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin compared Sanatan Dharm with ‘dengue, malaria’ and called for its eradication. Political analyst, Gajendra Parashar talking to ‘The Hitavada’ said that “it is being seen since last few elections, issues like religion has taken centre stage. Although other issues pertaining to local problems also matter, it can’t be denied that there is no issue of religion in these elections. People’s sentiments have always had an impact in state's politics.”

That’s why it (Sanatan Dharm) has continued to be a political trigger here.