The BJP on Tuesday accused the INDIA bloc of having a hidden agenda to target Sanatan Dharma for its vote bank politics as party president J P Nadda led a fresh charge and claimed that attacking the ancient faith is part of a well thought-out strategy of the Congress and its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP seized on DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy's remarks that the INDIA bloc was forged as an "opposition to Sanatan ideology" to hit out at the opposition.
"The Congress and the INDI Alliance should make their view clear and tell if the Constitution gives the right to make objectionable comments against any religion? Do INDI Alliance members not know the constitutional provisions," Nadda said on X.
The alliance, the Congress and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should answer as to why "hate against Sanatan Dharma is being sold in the name of mohabbat ki dukan," he said. This mega mall of hate is only for power; divide and rule, he alleged.
Addressing a press conference, BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the country's culture and heritage are being daily insulted while senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi are silent.
Noting that Bihar minister and RJD leader Chandra Shekhar and Samajwadi Party's Swami Prasad Maura have repeatedly criticised Hindu holy books like Ramcharitmanas, Prasad said the leadership of these parties have maintained silence.
Such silence is an indication of approval, he said, making it clear that the BJP will go to people on the issue after the agenda has been set by the opposition. "We will talk of vikas (development) as well as virasat," he said. India will not tolerate this insult to Sanatan, he said.
The more Sonia Gandhi maintains silence over the matter the more it will be clear that opposing Sanatan Dharma is part of the INDIA bloc's common minimum programme, he alleged.
"The BJP will urge this alliance to come out with a categorical resolution that we completely disassociate ourselves (from DMK's criticism) and this is not our agenda," he said.
With the DMK linking Sanatan Dharma with the practice of caste discrimination among Hindus to justify its criticism, the BJP leader noted that temples dedicated to revered people from backward castes like Shabir, Kewat and saint Ravidas have been built. The Sanatan Dharma believes that one irrespective of his caste and community background can attain God with their devotion, he claimed.
The Congress has maintained that it believes in respecting every faith.
Hitting back, Prasad said while opposition leaders from those in the DMK to some in parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party have been vocal in criticising Sanatan Dharma and holy books associated with Hinduism, can they summon courage to criticise other faiths and their holy figures.
Why this "shameful denigration" of Sanatan, he said, claiming the country will not tolerate insult to it.
He also spoke of the prominence given to the Konark Chakra and ancient Nalanda University during the recent G20 Summit meeting hosted by India.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
