NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Thursday criticized Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his recent comments on Sanatan Dharma. Poonawalla accused Vijayan of disrespecting the faith to appease the Muslim community and consolidate the vote bank.
Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla said, “First he disrespected Sanatan Dharma, and now he defends his statement. This is a deliberate attempt to utilize the Muslim vote bank. He is disrespecting Sanatan Dharma to appease the Muslims and secure their votes.”
Former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan also condemned Vijayan’s remarks, calling them an insult to Sanatan Dharma and the Sivagiri Mutt. Addressing the audience at the Sivagiri Mutt, Muraleedharan challenged Vijayan, questioning if he would make similar statements about other religions, including the Quran.
BJP Chittorgarh MP CP Joshi added to the criticism, accusing Congress and its allies of targeting Hinduism. “They abuse Sanatan Dharma, calling it dengue-malaria and AIDS, and even Hindu terrorism. Sanatan is the soul of this country. Political parties should focus on development rather than such statements,” Joshi said.
Earlier, during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage, CM Vijayan claimed that attempts to link social reformer Sree Narayana Guru to Sanatan Dharma were misleading. He described Sanatan Dharma as synonymous with caste-based Varnashrama Dharma, which Guru opposed.
“Guru’s life was a defiance of hereditary professions and caste systems. His proclamation, ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for humankind,’ stands in opposition to Sanatan Dharma,” Vijayan stated. He further highlighted that Guru championed inclusivity and rejected the restrictive practices of the Chaturvarna system.
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