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

DMK youth wing leader and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday (May 14, 2026) said “destroying Sanatana” did not mean people should stop going to temples.

Reacting to criticism of his speech in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where he had, on Wednesday (May 13, 2026), said, “Sanatana that divides people should be destroyed”, Mr. Udhayanidhi insisted he would not be cowed down by such criticism.

“The Dravidian movement faced opposition and emerged stronger,” he said.

Mr. Udhayanidhi said equal rights should be given to everyone, not only in temples but in society as a whole. “I only said that what divides people into upper castes and lower castes should be destroyed. I merely echoed the views of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (social reformer), B. R. Ambedkar (architect of the Indian Constitution) and C. N. Annadurai (former Chief Minister),” he said.

Published – May 15, 2026 01:00 am IST