"Congress Not Willing To Be Drawn Into Sanatana Dharma Row": P Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that his party is unwilling to be drawn into any controversy surrounding Sanatana Dharma and further informed that there was no discussion on it during the Congress Working Committee meeting which is underway in Hyderabad.

Addressing the press conference in Hyderabad, P Chidambaram said, "There has been no discussion on Sanatana Dharma (during CWC meeting). The Congress president has made it absolutely clear that the Congress party is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on Sanatana Dharma. We believe in 'Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava' ("All religions are the same) and we stand by that position. That has been the consistent position of Congress party for many decades and we are not getting drawn into any controversy over that issue."

The controversy related to the issue of Sanatana Dharma erupted after Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhaynidhi Stalin had said that the Sanatana religion should be eradicated. The DMK leader also drew a parallel between diseases like dengue, and malaria and the 'Sanatana Dharma'.

Reacting to these remarks, the DMK and INDIA bloc received sharp criticism from the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Launching a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh appealed to the people of the poll-bound states, stating that the Opposition has a "hidden agenda to end Sanatana Dharma".

"This INDI alliance adopted a resolution to end our 'Sanatana' culture. They are bent on destroying the ideologies, cultures and traditions that have kept the country and our people together for centuries," PM Modi said.

Earlier on Friday Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda hit out at opposition bloc INDIA and alleged that the agenda of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is to "abuse and disrespect" Sanatan Dharma.

"Nowadays, there have been many talks on Sanatana Dharma. On 1st September this INDI alliance held a meeting in Mumbai. On 3rd September their strong ally DMK's Chief's son Udhayanidhi Stalin insulted Sanatan Dharma. The next day on September 4, Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge who is also Minister in the Karnataka government disrespects Sanatan Dharma," Mr Nadda said.

"Till now Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been silent on this. I allege that both mother and son have formulated the agenda to abuse and disrespect Sanatan Dharma in the Mumbai meeting which is handed over to DMK and other parties. This is the agenda of Mata Sonia and Beta Rahul," he added.

Meanwhile, P Chidambaram also informed that there have been requests by members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that a Bharat Jodo Yatra 2 should be organized from the eastern parts of the countries to the west. "That matter is under consideration," he said.

This is the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee, the party's top decision-making body under Mallikarjun Kharge's presidency. The party is strategizing for the upcoming assembly elections in the five states.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)