In a striking display of political irony, Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Chief Minister and DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin recently lamented the rise of hate speech in India particularly against minorities. Speaking at an event in Chennai, he claimed, “Hate speech is on a rise in India, it is particularly higher against minority communities. Various false propaganda has been spread on social media. There is a fascist gang in the country that has a full-time job to spread these kinds of things on social media to confuse people. I don’t want to name them, you know who they are.”
Yet, this self-styled moral guardian is the very same figure who drew national ire and a rebuke from the Supreme Court for equating Sanatana Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria, calling for its “eradication.” The apex court’s reprimand should have served as a moment of introspection. Instead, Stalin appears to have doubled down on political opportunism masked as social concern.
Unsurprisingly, this sudden concern for minorities has surfaced just ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Rather than an expression of genuine worry, his words seem like a carefully curated speech tailored for electoral gains. Once again, identity politics is weaponized not to unite, but to divide, distract, and dominate.
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Selective Secularism and Recycled Rhetoric
This isn’t the first time Udhayanidhi Stalin has indulged in the politics of minority appeasement. In 2024, at a Christmas gathering, he declared, “If there is a festival that brings happiness to the whole world, it is Christmas. I am even happier when Christmas arrives.” He proudly traced his connection to Christian institutions like Don Bosco School and Loyola College and made a statement that caused considerable uproar, “I proudly declared, ‘I am also a Christian.’ Immediately many ‘Sanghis’ had stomach burns. Today, I say it again—I am proud to say that I am a Christian.”
The term “Sanghi” used pejoratively to describe devout Hindus, supporters of Hindutva ideology, support of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everything in that spectrum, it is routinely employed by leftists, Dravidianists, and others to demonize their ideological opponents. Udhayanidhi didn’t hesitate to use the term as a slur while wrapping himself in the garb of minority solidarity.
Later, perhaps realizing the potential backlash, he attempted damage control, “If you think of me as a Christian, I am a Christian. If you think of me as a Muslim, I am a Muslim. If you think of me as a Hindu, I belong to all. The foundation of all religions is love. Every religion teaches us to love one another” A classic political maneuver – alienate first, then attempt to appease all.
A Pattern of Provocation
This pattern of strategic identity-shifting isn’t new. At a similar Christmas event in 2022, Udhayanidhi had again proclaimed, “I’m proud to call myself a Christian. Today, all Sanghis (a colloquial reference denoting devout Hindus and supporters of RSS-BJP) will be burning. Because Sekarbabu (Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister) is saying ‘Hallelujah’, Udhayanidhi is saying ‘I’m a Christian’. Yes, I will say that I’m a Muslim too.” Such statements, framed as personal affirmations, function more as political provocations designed to signal allegiance while vilifying the ideological other.
In 2023, the same rhetoric was recycled, again at the Christmas celebrations in Chennai’s Harbour constituency. With Christian clergy and political leaders sharing the stage, Udhayanidhi reiterated his pride in being a Christian and repeated the same vague, crowd-pleasing mantra of religious universality.
Yet behind this facade of pluralism lies a more calculated game one that appeals to religious minorities while implicitly targeting and antagonizing the Hindu majority under the guise of “rationalism” or “anti-fascism.”
The Sanatana Dharma Controversy
Perhaps the most telling episode in this political theatre occurred in September 2023, when Udhayanidhi Stalin openly likened Sanatana Dharma the foundational worldview of Hinduism to infectious diseases, stating, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely. Same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it.”
The fallout was immediate and widespread. National outrage ensued, and even DMK’s allies within the I.N.D.I.A. bloc distanced themselves. The statement wasn’t just inflammatory it was deeply offensive to millions of Hindus who view Sanatana Dharma as integral to their identity, faith, and culture.
In light of this, Udhayanidhi’s recent handwringing over hate speech rings hollow. It’s hard to take seriously a politician who calls for the “eradication” of a millennia-old religion, only to turn around and cry foul when accused of stoking division.
With 2026 looming, Tamil Nadu is once again witnessing the DMK’s well-worn script selectively invoking communal harmony while stoking sectarian undercurrents. Udhayanidhi Stalin, poised as the party’s future face, appears more concerned with consolidating a voter base than promoting genuine social unity.
In the end, his speeches may change tones, but the strategy remains the same: appease some, alienate others, and claim moral superiority while doing both.
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