Tamil Nadu is witnessing a fresh wave of Hindu anger after two politicians — TVK MLA VMS Mustafa and former Congress MLA Hassan Moulana — publicly endorsed Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Assembly remarks calling for the eradication of Sanatan Dharma. The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from BJP leaders, Hindu outfits, and netizens, while TVK chief Joseph Vijay’s silence on the issue is being treated as a statement in itself.
DMK leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin, during the first assembly of the newly formed Government, reiterated his stand against Sanatan Dharma. He asserted that Sanatan Dharma “must certainly be abolished” as it “divides the people.” He was delivering his maiden speech as LoP. Udhayanidhi’s statement was a repetition of his September 2023 remark, which had sparked nationwide outrage and triggered multiple court cases filed by pro-Hindu organisations.
VMS Mustafa, who is also known as Madhar Badurudeen, the founding president of the Tamil Nadu Muslim League (TNML) and Vijay’s own party (TVK) MLA from Madurai Central, told the media: “We also have Periyar, Ambedkar, and we’ve entered the field to eradicate Sanatan Dharma.” Former Congress MLA Hassan Moulana has brazenly declared that Sanatan Dharma is “out of Tamil Nadu and will not prosper here.”
Now, both the statements by the Muslim League MLA and by the former Congress MLA echoed Udhayanidhi’s statement made on the Assembly floor.
Opposition Slams DMK
The BJP State President, K Annamalai, said the episode exposed DMK and TVK as “two sides of the same coin.” According to him, both parties, DMK and TVK, hid their anti-Hindu agenda behind the so-called “secularism” during elections. He further said that both parties started exposing their Hindu hate after coming to power.
“If either DMK or TVK had the courage of conviction, they should have openly declared during their campaigns that targeting Sanatan Dharma would be central to their politics,” he said. He also noted that, instead, they hid behind secularism and theatrics, only to reveal their true intentions after seeking votes from the very people whose faith they now insult with arrogance and impunity. Annamalai also turned the spotlight on Udhayanidhi’s own family, noting that his mother visits temples daily, and challenged him to first stop her before asking others to abandon their faith.
BJP state chief spokesperson Narayanan Tirupathi questioned the double standards: “Will Mustafa, who criticises Sanatan Dharma, dare to criticise the Islamic faith? Will he come forward with criticism of Christianity?” In a post in X, he wrote: “A Muslim, and especially a people’s representative, speaking derogatorily about the Hindu religion and declaring that it will be eradicated is an act that severely damages religious harmony.”
BJP’s General Secretary Organisation, BL Santhosh invoked history: “Alexander, Ghori, Ghazni, Khilji, British, French, Communists couldn’t do it, and here comes a person who cannot convince his own family about this …!! Bharat and Sanatan have withstood the test of time and generations.”
BJP IT wing’s Karthik Gopinath added: “TVK MLA Mustafa says that they have entered politics to destroy Sanatan Dharma. Invaders tried for 700 years, colonists for 300 years — and yet we are 80 per cent Hindus in this great nation. Try eradicating the eternal and you will plunge into oblivion and be eradicated yourself!!!” State President of BJP Youth Wing Dr SG Suryah called it “a direct insult to the millions of practicing Hindus who live and breathe their faith in our spiritual land.”
Hindus Demand Action
Hindu Munnani State President Kadeswara Subramaniam demanded that Udhayanidhi be taught how to behave as a responsible opposition leader. “Udhayanidhi Stalin is speaking disparagingly about Hindus. His father MK Stalin should teach him how to be a responsible opposition leader.” The organisation conducted state-wide protests on May 17 across Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, and Tirupur.
Hindu outfits also formally demanded that Udhayanidhi’s Assembly remarks be expunged from the records, that action be taken under Supreme Court directions on hate speech, and that Mustafa be expelled from TVK and made to resign his MLA seat.
Critics express concern that the Assembly is increasingly becoming a venue for disparaging comments about Sanatan Dharma, while some allege it is being used to promote Muslim and Christian perspectives.
Vijay’s Silence Draws Scrutiny
TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna sought to deflect, saying: “Udhayanidhi does not know what Sanatan Dharma is… Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, we always treat everyone equally. We respect all beliefs. Even our leader respects every religion’s beliefs. We respect all beliefs. Personally, I do not believe in God, but as a minister and an MLA, I have to respect every religion and its beliefs. That is the Indian Constitution.” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief Joseph Vijay, however, has made no public statement — a silence critics say betrays his secular credentials, which he ought to have.
There are broader concerns about the state Assembly’s conduct. The daily reading of ‘Thirukkural’ couplets — a long-standing tradition — has reportedly been discontinued. Some observers have noted that former Speaker M Appavu was open about his Christian faith, both within and outside the Assembly, and was sometimes perceived as acting more as a DMK leader than a neutral Speaker. He has publicly praised Christianity and credited British and Christian missionaries for expanding educational opportunities for marginalised communities.
MJK leader and MLA Thamimun Ansari now quotes the Quran while frequently invoking the story of King Cheran Senguttavan, which critics allege is used to target or demean the people from northern part of Bharat. Opponents say the MJK leader’s remarks reflect an attempt to divide Hindus along regional lines. Critics also say that the Tamil Nadu Assembly is increasingly seen as a venue for disparaging remarks about Sanatan Dharma and alleged promotion of Muslim and Christian perspectives. Technocrat Sridhar Vembu asked, when Udhayanidhi Stalin repeatedly attacks “sanathanam,” why is there not more visible outrage among Tamil Nadu’s deeply religious Hindu population?
A separate controversy emerged in Kayalpattinam, a Muslim-majority coastal town, over an attempt to rename a street from “Sivan Kovil (Temple) Street” to “Haji Street.” Hindu Munnani senior functionary VP Jayakumar responded sharply and rhetorically asked whether Muslims would accept renaming it “Pakistan Street” in return. As the controversy widens, the debate is no longer confined to political rhetoric alone. Questions over religious harmony, selective secularism, and respect for civilisational traditions are increasingly shaping Tamil Nadu’s political discourse. With repeated remarks against Sanatan Dharma drawing strong reactions from Hindu organisations and sections of the public, the issue appears set to remain a major flashpoint in the state’s political and cultural landscape.
