"DMK regime lacks even basic grace to offer greetings for Hindu festivals": Tamil Nadu BJP's ANS Prasad condemns Udhayanidhi Stalin's 'believers only' Diwali greeting

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 17 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson ANS Prasad on Friday slammed Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's 'believers only' Diwali greeting, asserting that the DMK government lacks even the basic grace to offer greetings for Hindu festivals.
Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson criticised Udhayanidhi Stalin for extending Diwali wishes exclusively to "those who have faith," alleging that it reflects the DMK's persistent anti-Hindu stance.
Prasad further alleged that Udhayanidhi Stalin's Diwali message constitutes a direct insult to Hindus in Tamil Nadu and across the world.
In a statement, Psasad said, "It's common knowledge that the DMK is an anti-Hindu party. Once ensconced in power, they are duty-bound to treat every citizen with absolute equality. The Constitution, meticulously crafted by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, underscores this imperative with unyielding clarity. Yet, the DMK regime lacks even the basic grace to offer greetings for Hindu festivals, choosing instead to spew unrelenting vitriol exclusively against the Hindu faith," Prasad added, urging immediate political accountability.
He also referenced previous remarks attributed to Udhayanidhi Stalin regarding Sanatan Dharma, calling the Deputy Chief Minister a provocateur targeting Hindu traditions.
Hitting out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, ANS Prasad asserted that as the Chief Minister, he embodies the collective voice of every Tamil Nadu resident.
"No one anticipates festive wishes from MK Stalin in his capacity as DMK chief--nor are they warranted. But as Chief Minister, he embodies the collective voice of every Tamil Nadu resident. The party leader may indulge his personal prejudices and animosities. The Chief Minister, however, cannot afford such luxuries. To do so would flagrantly violate the foundational tenets of the Indian Constitution. He must regard all citizens as equals, without exception. Chief Minister MK Stalin must, at long last, internalise this fundamental truth," the ANS Prasad said.
"And yet, Chief Minister MK Stalin never fails to shower greetings on every festival of other religions without exception. He extends them even to celebrations rooted in faiths imported from distant shores. We do not decry this--we embrace it. We commend it wholeheartedly," Prasad later added.
The BJP spokesperson emphasised that, as per the Constitution, all citizens must be treated equally, and political leaders must refrain from personal biases while in office.
"But in Tamil Nadu, where over 60 million Hindus call home, Chief Minister MK Stalin doggedly refuses to extend even a token greeting to Hindu festivals alone. This blatant discrimination demands our fiercest outrage. It is in precisely this toxic milieu that reports have surfaced of his son and Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, smugly declaring, "Diwali greetings to those who have faith," Prasad said.
"Diwali is the joyous triumph of Hinduism's core tenet: No matter how fiercely adharma rears its monstrous head, dharma shall prevail in the end. It is this very truth that goads the forces of darkness--those arrayed against righteousness--to relentlessly deride and demean the festival," he added.
The Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson called for strong political repercussions and an unapologetic backlash against both Udhayanidhi Stalin and the DMK government, asserting that such discriminatory conduct cannot go unchecked.
"They may bask in illusory victories today. But ultimate defeat is their inexorable destiny. I extend my unreserved and vehement condemnation to this virulently anti-Hindu DMK government, which forfeits even the semblance of decorum in acknowledging a Hindu celebration, and to Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin," Prasad said. (ANI)