"Not Position, But Responsibility": Udhayanidhi Stalin On Getting Top Post

Deputy Chief Minister is not a position, but a responsibility, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin said today, hours after his father and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced his elevation to the top post. The 46-year-old, who was earlier state minister in charge of youth welfare and sports development, has also been handed over the planning and development portfolio in the latest cabinet reshuffle.

In a post on X, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "Realizing that 'Deputy Chief Minister' is not a position but a responsibility... we will work together with our fellow Ministers under the guidance of the Hon'ble Chief Minister on the path paved by Father Periyar - Perarinjar Anna - Muthamizharinjar Kalainar for the upliftment of the people of Tamil Nadu." "Father Periyar" refers to social activist and Tamil icon Periyar, while "Kalainar" refers to veteran DMK leader and Udhayanidhi Stalin's grandfather, late M Karunanidhi.

Following the announcement, Udhayanidhi Stalin today visited the memorial of M Karunanidhi in Chennai. He also visited Periyar's memorial and the homes of his grandfather at Gopalapuram and CIT Colony in Chennai. In one of the photographs, his aunt and senior DMK leader K Kanimozhi is seen congratulating Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The BJP has slammed the DMK over Udhayanidhi Stalin's elevation to the top post and said the party's history has been marked with "years of betrayal of the people and prioritising family interests over public welfare". "Despite being part of the alliance, DMK has denied its partners a share in power and instead appointed Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister," a BJP spokesperson said.

An alumnus of Loyola College, Chennai, Udhayanidhi Stalin has worked in several movies as an actor and producer before an all-out foray into politics. He has led the DMK's student wing and was among the key faces of the party's 2021 campaign for the 2021 state polls in which it scored a thumping win. He was inducted as a minister in the MK Stalin government in 2022.

The DMK leader made national headlines last year when his remarks likening Sanatana Dharma to dengue and malaria sparked a massive row. Stressing that Sanatana Dharma is against the idea of social justice, he said at an event, "Sanatana is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated and not opposed."

The BJP claimed that the remark was a genocidal call and targeted Congress which was in alliance with the DMK.

In response, Udhayanidhi Stalin had said he never called for genocide. "Sanatana Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatana Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality. I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatana Dharma."