CHENNAI: Remarks made by Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma have sparked a huge row especially inviting sharp criticism from BJP leaders.

Udhayanidhi who is in the state cabinet led by his father the chief minister of the state, M. K. Stalin on the weekend said that "Sanatana is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated and not opposed."

Delivering his address at a writers' conference in Chennai Udhayanidhi said, "While I thank the organisers of this conference for giving me the opportunity to deliver a special address. I appreciate that, you have kept the name of the conference as 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' rather than 'Anti-Sanatana Conference' few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only."

Udhayanidhi added that the word Sanatanam was derived from Sanskrit and it is against equality and social justice.

The minister's comments triggered a massive backlash on social media, especially from the cadres of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with many calling for a case to be filed against the Tamil Nadu minister.

BJP's IT national department head Amit Malviya posted on Twitter, "Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamilnadu CM MK Stalin, and a minister in the DMK Govt, has linked Sanatana Dharma to malaria and dengue… He is of the opinion that it must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for genocide of 80% 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 in the Mumbai meet?"

Seeing the backlash on social media, Udhayanidhi also posted on Twitter saying that he was ready to face any legal challenge and would not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats.

Responding to Malviya's tweet, he clarified that while he stood firmly on every word he said, he never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma. 

Udhayanidhi posted, "Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats. We, the followers of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, would fight forever to uphold social justice and establish an egalitarian society under the able guidance of our CM MK Stalin. I will say it today, tomorrow, and forever: Our resolve to stop Sanathana Dharma from the Dravidian land would not reduce even a bit."