"Young kid is being targeted...," Kamal Haasan on 'Sanatana Dharma' row

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 22 (ANI): Amid the political outcry over Tamil Nadu Udhayanidhi Stalin's rant against Sanatana Dharma, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said that a young kid (Udhayanidhi) is being targeted just because he spoke about Sanatana.
He further said that all of us got to know about the word 'Sanatana' because of Periyar.
"A young kid (Udhayanidhi Stalin) is being targeted just because he spoke about 'Sanatana'. His forefathers have spoken about 'Sanatana'. Periyar was the one who told us about Sanatana," Kamal Haasan said.
Haasan further said that Periyar once used to work in the temple and was doing puja in Varanasi with a tilak on his forehead.
"Periyar once used to work in the temple. He was doing 'puja' in Varanasi with 'tilak' on his forehead. Imagine how much anger he must have had to throw away all that and work in service of the people realising that it’s the biggest service. Till the end of his life he lived for society," he said.
"Neither the DMK nor any other party can claim Periyar as their own. Tamil Nadu will celebrate Periyar as its own," he added.
On September 2, speaking at a public event, Stalin called for the 'eradication' of Sanatana Dharma and compared the same with diseases like dengue, malaria etc.
"Few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose Dengue, Mosquitoes, Malaria, or Corona, we have to eradicate this that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated."
"The name Sanatana is from Sanskrit. It is against social justice and equality," he added. (ANI)