This US city proclaims September 3 as “Sanatana Dharma” Day amid controversy over Udhayanidhi’s comments
A city in the United States has proclaimed September 3 as Sanatana Dharma Day in response to the controversy surrounding Tamil Nadu minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment on “Sanatana Dharma” in India.
The declaration was reportedly issued on Tuesday by Craig Greenberg, the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. During the city’s Maha Kumbha Abhishekam event, deputy mayor Barbara Sexton Smith is said to have read the formal proclamation.
The gathering included a number of spiritual luminaries, including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Chidanand Saraswati, president of the Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh, and Bhagawati Saraswati.
“The re-consecration – or #Mahakumbh #Abhishekam – of the #Hindu Temple of #Kentucky was made more powerful and significant @LouisvilleMayor’s proclamation of 3 September 2023 as #SanatanaDharma Day,” Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati wrote alongside photos from the event on X, formerly known as Twitter. A fantastic new chapter in the magnificent tale of #Indian culture!”
The son of the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi, sparked a huge uproar when he likened the “Sanatana Dharma” to illnesses like dengue and malaria and stated it should not only be fought, but “eradicated.”
“Some things can’t be contested; they should only be done away with. Dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, and corona cannot be fought. This must be eliminated; that is how Sanatana must be eliminated. It should be eliminated, not opposed, he stated last week in Chennai.
Udhayanidhi and Congressman Priyank Kharge were the targets of a FIR on Wednesday for “hurting religious sentiments” in violation of Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153A (promote enmity between different religious groups) and 295A (deliberate and malicious actions to outrage religious sensibilities). Based on allegations made by attorneys in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, the FIR was lodged.
