PM Modi stoking Sanatan flames to cover up 'Himalayan Corruption': Stalin

Charging the BJP and the Narendra Modi government with escalating the Sanatan controversy to divert public attention from the Himalayan corruption, hate politics, anti-democratic acts, and stripping states' of their rights, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday called upon the party cadre and allies not to get distracted. It is a call to tone down anti-Sanatan rhetoric and focus on the failures of the Centre.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Sensing the game plan of the BJP in targeting the DMK and the Opposition INDIA bloc over the Sanatan controversy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has appealed to the party rank and file as well the allies not to fall prey to the saffron party's designs and instead sharpen the attack on the Centre's humongous corruption of Himalayan proportion and its anti-democratic activities.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to take cover under this non-issue. Keeping a studied silence on any burning issue facing the nation, he convened the Union Cabinet and directed his ministerial colleagues to give a befitting reply to the Sanatan controversy. Every other day, a Union Minister utters a rabble-rousing speech with the intention of creating a debate to divert people's attention. We should not give in to their tactics of hiding their failures,” Stalin said in a letter to the party workers.

Drawing attention to a note of caution from K Veeramani, president of Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), the ideological mentor of the DMK, the Chief Minister said “The BJP is latching on to Sanatan to prevent us from raising the corruption of the BJP and keep us hooked on to the controversy. It is my appeal that front-line leaders of the DMK and our allies should follow that.” Further, he added, “People are very much aware that the BJP, with the support of the media, is adept at twisting any issue to blow it out of proportion in order to keep under wraps the real issues confronting the nation.”

Modi who assumed office in 2014, has not fulfilled any one of the promises, including retrieval of black money stashed away in foreign banks and giving every citizen Rs 15 lakh, he had made. None other than the Union Home Minister has admitted that the Rs 15 lakh promise was made just for the sake of the elections. Promises that have not been kept are listless. “But, only the BJP's treasury has fattened. Corruption and irregularities are galore and the Rafale deal and Adani irregularities have put India to shame before the global community,” Stalin said.

Then listing the irregularities exposed by the CAG report, the Chief Minister said “In the seven scams viz., Bharatmala, Dwaraka Expressway, Toll Plaza tariff, Ayushman Bharat, Ayodhya Development, Rural Development Ministry's Pension scheme and HAL, cost Rs 7.5 lakh crore, it has been revealed. To cover up this Himalayan corruption, it is taking cover under Sanatan. Manipur is burning for four months, and the government has no spine to put it out.”

“The BJP is rattled after the emergence of the INDIA bloc and the BJP-led Union government's days are numbered since the people are prepared to write an obituary for it. With the people getting ready to bring to power the INDIA bloc, they have stooped to the extent of changing the name of the country,” he noted.

The Chief Minister's statement comes in the wake of an FIR being registered against his son and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi for his remark on eradicating Sanatan Dharma. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, without naming Udhayanidhi had threatened at a public rally that if anyone spoke against Sanatan his tongue would be pulled out and eyes gouged out.

According to analysts, Stalin's appeal to douse the fire lit by his son was made in view of keeping the INDIA bloc intact as many of the allies have been put on the defensive and have distanced themselves on this issue. “It is enough that the DMK has reiterated its position on Sanatan. Given the BJP's attempt to milk on this controversy, it is politically sensible not to fall prey to the saffron plot of creating a division in the ranks of the INDIA bloc and also make it a poll issue to reap dividends in the north,” explains senior journalist Babu Jayakumar.