The Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin, leaves after a meeting of the DMK’s district secretaries in Chennai on May 14, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla. File.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Gorakhpur:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said Sanatan Dharma is the foundation of global humanity and not only India but also the entire world will be safeguarded if it remains secure.

He was addressing a felicitation ceremony for Jagadguru Shankaracharya Vidushekhara Bharati Sannidhanam of the Sringeri Sharada Peeth at the Gorakhnath Temple.

Adityanath highlighted that Sanatan Dharma neither imposes its beliefs on others nor restricts individual freedom.

“No other tradition offers the same level of liberty, openness and ease as Sanatan Dharma,” he said.

Welcoming Jagadguru Shankaracharya with a ceremonial robe and gifts, Adityanath noted that despite numerous attacks throughout history, the divine tradition of avatars, seers, sages and great souls has protected the Sanatan Dharma and ensured the safety of its followers.

The chief minister recalled that at one point, Sanatan Dharma seemed on the brink of decline but Adi Shankaracharya revived it through his Vijay Yatra, debates and the establishment of four mathas in India’s cardinal directions – Jyotish in the north, Jagannath in the east, Dwarka in the west, and Sringeri in the south.

Sharing his personal experiences, Adityanath mentioned that he had been fortunate to visit the Sringeri Peeth multiple times.

He also pointed out that the Gorakshpeeth has historically hosted Jagadgurus from the Sringeri Peeth, including during the 1977 Prayagraj Mahakumbh.

Speaking about the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Adityanath described it as a global message of unity. He said nearly 48 crore devotees had taken a holy dip in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers in the first 31 days of the 45-day event.

“This is the embodiment of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’,” he remarked, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that national integrity will remain unbroken through unity.

The chief minister also highlighted the recent transformation of Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya after a 500-year wait, crediting Modi’s leadership for the grandeur of these sacred sites.

He said the new look of Kashi and Ayodhya is a source of immense pride and joy for followers of Sanatan Dharma worldwide. 

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

Mahakumbh Nagar:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday urged people to take forward the message of unity, saying the country will be strong if Sanatan dharma is strong.

He also accused the opposition parties of seeking to divide the country on caste-religious lines for their own political interests and said doing so is nothing less than treason.

He voiced strong disapproval of demands from some quarters to divide the state into four, saying the potential of Uttar Pradesh lies in its unity.

“The message of the Maha Kumbh is the message of unity and integrity, and this should go out to the world. If all the saints, devotees or even tourists, who are part of the Maha Kumbh, take forward the message of unity, then Sanatan dharma will be strengthened and, if Sanatan dharma is strong, then our country will be strong,” Adityanath said in an interview to “News18 Network” at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela.

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

New Delhi:

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday lamented that reference to Sanatan and Hindu in India evokes baffling reaction from “misguided” people.

He also said that people who react to these terms without understanding the depths of the words and their deep meaning are “misguided” souls driven by a “dangerous ecosystem”.

Addressing the International Congress of Vedanta organised at JNU here, Dhankhar said it was ironical and painful that in this country “reference to Sanatan, reference to Hindu evokes baffling reaction beyond comprehension.” “Rather than understand the depth of these words, their deep meaning, people tend to be in a reaction mode at the drop of a hat,” he said.

Dhankhar dubbed such people as “souls which are misguided themselves”. He said such persons are “driven by a dangerous ecosystem that is a threat not only to society but to themselves”.

The Vice President said at a time when global disciplines are embracing the Vedanta philosophy, there are “some in this land of spirituality” who dismiss Vedanta and Sanatani text as “regressive”.

“This dismissal often stems from perverted, colonial mindsets, inefficient understanding of our intellectual heritage. These elements, who act in a structured manner, in a sinister fashion, the design is pernicious. They camouflage their destructive thought process by perverted versions of secularism. This is very dangerous,” Dhankhar said.

This intolerance, he opined, undermines our democratic values, disturbs harmony in society and doesn’t allow productivity. “On all counts, it leads only to disaster and failure,” he said.

Referring to disruptions in Parliament, he said “expression” and “dialogue” are fundamental.

“Right of expression is a divine gift. Its curtailment, its dilution by any mechanism is not wholesome and this brings into picture another aspect, dialogue. If you have right of expression, (but) you don’t engage in dialogue then things can’t work out. Both these must go hand in hand,” said Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chair.

He said disruptions have virtually defeated dialogue and expression. “Dialogue, debate, discussion, deliberation have exited under the onslaught of disruption and disturbance, even in the theatres of democracy,” he said.

“What a travesty. In these temples of democracy, their sanctity is outraged,” he said. 

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

Ayodhya (UP):

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday asserted the “Sanatan Dharma is the national religion of India”, and said that it is the collective responsibility of every citizen to protect it.

Yogi Adityanath participated in the Ashtottarshat 108 Shrimad Bhagwat Paath and Panch Narayan Mahayagya held at Asharfi Bhawan Ashram in Ayodhya. As part of the Mahayagya, the UP Chief Minister offered oblations amidst Vedic chants, praying for the happiness, peace, and prosperity of the people of Uttar Pradesh, the UP government said in a statement.

Addressing the gathering, the UP Chief Minister said, “The Sanatan Dharma is the national religion of India, and it is the collective responsibility of every citizen to protect it.” He highlighted how religion and culture foster positivity and peace in the society.

Reflecting on the historical attacks on sacred temples, he said that the clans of those who desecrated these holy sites have met their downfall.

Citing an example, he said, “Today, the descendants of (Mughal ruler) Aurangzeb are driving rickshaws. Their plight is the result of their destructive actions. Had they upheld righteousness and refrained from demolishing temples, would they be in such a state?” The UP chief minister emphasised the need to learn from the mistakes of the past that led India into the shackles of slavery and resulted in the desecration of its sacred sites.

He urged all Indians to unite in protecting and preserving Sanatan Dharma, asserting that respecting this eternal religion is essential for safeguarding humanity.

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

New Delhi:

The row over animal fat (allegedly) in ghee used to make the Tirupati laddoos has ramped up after Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expanded on his ‘sanatan dharm‘ vow to jab (without naming) the DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin, his counterpart from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Mr Kalyan’s jab at Mr Stalin was swiftly rebutted, though, with DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah saying his party “does not talk about any religion, or Hinduism in particular” but “will continue to talk against caste atrocities, untouchability, and caste hierarchy”.

Speaking Thursday at the temple town Mr Kalyan described allegations of adulterated ghee in the laddoosas “the tip of the iceberg” of five years of YSR Congress misrule, in which “we don’t know how many crores of rupees they collected (in bribes)”. This must be investigated further, he said.

Mr Kalyan, however, walked back from directly linking or blaming former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying, “It is not just about the honourable Chief Minister… never, till today have I pointed to him and said, ‘he is the one… he is the perpetrator’. I am on record. Even now I am not blaming him.”

But while his attack on the YSRCP echoed those by his ally, the ruling TDP, it was his swipe at “a Tamil Nadu leader who says ‘sanatan dharm‘ is like a virus and must be destroyed” that made headlines.

The jab was inarguably directed at Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment in September last year; Mr Stalin had argued that ‘sanatan dharm‘ against the idea of social justice and compared it to viral diseases like malaria and dengue, declaring “it must be eradicated and not opposed”.

The remark triggered a political row since it came months before a general election; the BJP pounced on Mr Stalin, the DMK, and the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc (of which the Tamil party is a member), accusing them of calling for the ‘genocide’ of ‘sanatan dharm‘ practitioners.

On Thursday Mr Kalyan dug that remark out of cold storage, declaring, in Tamil, “Don’t say ‘sanatan dharm‘ is like a virus and (you) will destroy (it). Whoever said this, let me tell you sir… you cannot wipe out ‘sanatan dharm‘. If anyone tries… then you will be wiped out.”

“I am an unapologetic ‘sanatani‘ Hindu. Let me be very clear,” the Jana Sena Party boss, clad in saffron, thundered at a public rally at the temple town.

The DMK’s response was detailed and quick, calling out both Mr Kalyan and his boss, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, for comments heavily criticised last week by the Supreme Court.

DMK spokesperson Dr Hafeezullah also called Mr Kalyan, Mr Naidu and his TDP, and the BJP, which is an ally to both leaders, as “the real enemies of Hinduism and humanity”.

“DMK does not talk about any religion… it is the people from the BJP, TDP, and Pawan Kalyan who use religion and Hindu gods for political gains. They are the real enemies… this statement (by Mr Kalyan) is an attempt to divert attention from crores affected by their policies.”

“And, as far as the DMK’s stand on caste untouchability goes.. it is similar to that taken by Baba Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, and Periyar, and other founders of the Dravidian movement. Whoever is promoting it… you can call it anything but DMK will continue to oppose these practices.”

READ | Pawan Kalyan Ends 11-Day Penance At Tirumala Temple

In the aftermath of the laddoos row Mr Kalyan has repeatedly called for a pan-India committee to protect ‘sanatan dharma’ and warned of the ‘desecration of ‘sanathan dharma’ in any form”. Declaring himself deeply offended, he went on a 11-day penance concluding Wednesday at Tirupati.

“Keep Gods Out Of Politics…”

The Supreme Court, he also said, had already criticised Chandrababu Naidu for jumping the gun about allegations of animal fat in Tirupati laddoo ghee; the court last week said religion and politics could not be allowed to mix and took a dim view of Mr Naidu’s comments on this topic.

READ | “Keep Gods Out Of Politics”: Supreme Court On Tirupati Laddoo Row

The court this morning ordered a special team – consisting of two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh Police personnel, and a senior official from the centre-run Food Safety and Standards Authority – to investigate the animal fat claims.

READ | “Matter Of Faith”: Top Court Orders Special Probe Into Laddoo Row

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan said the court does not want ‘political drama’ on this topic since it represents an important matter of faith for millions of devotees worldwide.

NDTV Explains | How The Laddoos Made And How Ingredients Are Procured

The kitchen at Tirupati makes around three lakh laddoos daily, with around 1,500 kg of ghee and vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar used.

Last month the Andhra government red-flagged a July report from a lab in Gujarat that said samples of the the ghee bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard, which is a form of pig fat. The lab also added a disclaimer about “false positives”.

With input from agencies

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Bhopal:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said invaders who came to destroy Sanatan Dharma got destroyed themselves, comments coming in the backdrop of critical remarks made against the ancient faith by leaders of the DMK, a key member of the opposition INDIA bloc.

The BJP leader asserted the fusillade against Sanatan Dharma reflects nothing but frustration in ranks of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which has more than two dozen parties.

“During the past 10,000 years, invaders who came to destroy Sanatan Dharma got destroyed themselves….this religion stayed on. You don’t have strength or courage to finish Sanatan,” Mr Fadnavis said, addressing a rally organised during the BJP’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Dhar district of poll-going Madhya Pradesh.

Terming the opposition front as “khichdi” (coalition of parties with different ideology) and collection of ‘ghamandia’ (arrogant) people, Mr Fadnavis targeted Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin for his comments comparing Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria, and calling for its eradication.

He said after this, the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyank Kharge, a minister in the Karnataka government, also called for uprooting Sanatan Dharma.

“Whenever Sanatan was attacked, a king like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj came out and saved Sanatan. Whenever Sanatan temples were demolished, our queens like Ahilyabai Holkar came out and rebuilt them,” said the BJP leader.

He urged people to use their votes to send a strong message to those calling for destroying Sanatan Dharma.

Attacking Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath, Maharashtra’s deputy CM said these days “chunavi Hindus” (Hindus for election purposes) have come up in the country.

“As soon as election comes, they remember Hanuman Chalisa, temples, Bholenath (Lord Shiva). They go to Ujjain (which houses Mahakaleshwar Temple)… I wanted to ask these chunavi Hindus — if you have courage then say openly you will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The BJP leader maintained if Nath has courage, then he should tell his party colleague Priyank Kharge to seek apology from Hindus for insulting Sanatan Dharma.

“If you (INDIA bloc) abuse Sanatan Dharma for some votes, the country’s 80 per cent Hindus will not forgive you. The BJP respects all religions, but why only Sanatan Dharma is being targeted… why they don’t speak against other religions?” he asked.

Mr Fadnavis said if anti-BJP parties speak against any other religion, they will not get votes of that faith’s followers.

The deputy CM stated that the BJP’s agenda is development and welfare of the poor but “we need to teach a lesson to people who abuse our religion, culture and nationalism” through the upcoming elections.

The assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are due by the year-end. In view of these polls, the ruling BJP has rolled out the ‘Jan Ashirward Yatra’ to “seek people’s blessings”. Several such yatras are currently going on covering different parts of the state and they will culminate in Bhopal on September 25.

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

Chennai:

The BJP-led Centre should be targeted on “corruption” and Sanatan Dharma debate must be avoided, DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin advised his party workers on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling his Cabinet colleagues days ago to defend Sanatan Dharma is a clear pointer that he is trying to derive political mileage out of the row, the Tamil Nadu’s ruling party chief said in a statement.

One of the Union Ministers is trying everyday to divert people’s attention by deliberately attempting to make Sanatan a talking point. “Our people should not fall prey to the trick of the BJP to hide its failures.” Dravidar Kazhagam chief K Veeramani has pointed out that the BJP wants to prevent debate on corruption and hence it is diverting attention by focusing on Sanatan Dharma, the Chief Minister said. Veeramani has underscored that “we should talk more on BJP’s corruption.” Hence, Mr Stalin urged his party cadres, office-bearers and leaders of alliance parties including the Congress and Left parties to keep the focus on graft.

“Let us work with dedication to win our cherished goal of protecting the country and democracy by defeating the graft tainted, communal and despotic BJP regime and I appeal to everyone to not give room to attention diversion.” People knew pretty well that those belonging to the BJP are adept in making people forget real issues and divert attention.

The Chief Minister listed alleged irregularities in Central schemes, including the Bharat Mala and Dwaraka expressway projects to the tune of Rs 7.50 lakh crore and claimed the CAG report has exposed it.

Referring to the Manipur violence, Mr Stalin said the BJP regime is spineless to “douse fire” and it is trying to change the course of national discourse. The recent victory of INDIA alliance partners in the bypolls is a precursor, symbolising a nation-wide win for the combine in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

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

Jaipur:

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said anyone who speaks against the Sanatan Dharma would have his tongue pulled out and his eyes gouged out.

A video of Mr Shekhawat making the purported remarks went viral on social media. He was speaking at a public rally in Barmer district of poll-bound Rajasthan last week during BJP’s Parivartan Yatra.

Reacting to the recent comments made by Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin against the Sanatan Dharma, Shekhawat said, “We have to stand up to the challenge. We will pull out the tongue of anyone who speaks against Sanatan. We will also gouge out those eyes raised against Sanatan.”

“We challenge that no person who speaks against Sanatan will be able to maintain political position and power in this country. They try to attack our culture and history,” he said.

On September 2, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, had alleged that the Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and that it should be eradicated. He also likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue fever.

In the rally, Mr Shekhawat also said the opposition INDIA alliance is a grouping of those who have been involved in various scams like fodder scam and others. He said opposition parties’ objective is to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“(Congress president) Mallikarjun Kharge says that if Modi wins, Sanatan will become powerful, hence there is a need to defeat him. Two days ago, the DMK Chief Minister’s son made remarks against Sanatan. He (Udhayanidhi Stalin), while comparing it to coronavirus, says that Sanatan culture should be eliminated from the country,” the Jodhpur MP said.

Mr Shekhawat said that many invaders tried to weaken Indian culture for 2,000 years.

“Rulers like Alauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb tried but ancestors of yours and mine were capable and protect the culture. We swear by all those ancestors, whether it is Maharaja Surajmal, Veer Durgadas or Maharana Pratap, that we will not tolerate those who attack Sanatan. We will throw them away,” the Union Jal Shakti Minister said.

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