In the midst of a nationwide controversy sparked by his comments regarding ‘Sanatan Dharma,’ DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “twisting” his statement and spreading fake news while adding that he is ready to face whatever cases are filed against him.

While talking to the media, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “I am ready to face whatever cases they file against me. BJP is scared of the INDIA alliance and to divert that they are saying all this. DMK’s policy is One clan, one God.”

Also Read: INDIA alliance insulting ‘Sanatan Dharma’ for votebank politics, says Amit Shah in poll-bound Rajasthan

“I will say this continuously. Few are being childish saying I invited for genocide while others are saying that Dravidam should be abolished. Does that mean DMKians should be killed? When PM Modi says ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’, does that mean Congressmen should be killed? What is Sanatana? It means nothing should be changed and all are permanent,” he was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

A controversy erupted on Saturday when Udhayanidhi Stalin, a minister in the ruling DMK government and chief minister MK Stalin’s son, compared Sanatana Dharma with “dengue” and “malaria” and said that it should not just be opposed, but “eradicated”. His remarks invited sharp reactions with the BJP targeting the Congress along with DMK and other members of the Opposition bloc INDIA.

Amid the outrage, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shared a video of Tamil Nadu Congress chief KS Alagiri, who is heard saying the alliance’s purpose in the state was to “destroy” Sanatana dharma.

Also Read: Changing name of opposition alliance can’t hide hatred for ‘Sanatan Dharma’: Anurag Thakur

Earlier, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya hit out at Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatana dharma and said he was “calling for the genocide of 80 per cent of the population”.

The comments also triggered a massive backlash on social media, with many calling for a case to be filed against the Tamil Nadu minister.

Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks came at a writers’ conference in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu minister argued that the idea is inherently regressive, dividing people on the basis of caste and gender, and is fundamentally opposed to equality and social justice.

(With inputs from agencies)