Who is that South Indian leader who destroyed the Congress party in North India? Well, Netizens are talking about DMK leader Udayanidhi Stalin. A few months ago, he spoke of the eradication of Hinduism aka Sanatana Dharma at a conference. His remarks created a political storm, with the BJP targeting him for his anti-Hindu comments.
Not many know that the remarks were used against DMK's partner, the Congress party, in the recent Assembly elections. Many Hindu voters in Madhya Pradesh, for example, were heard saying that the anti-Sanatan remarks are something the Congress agrees with and therefore the party should be defeated. This may appear unbelievable to many, but that's a fact.
The RSS has a deep network in MP, especially. In every village, you will find RSS men and women in the State. They projected DMK's anti-Hinduism remarks as coming from a prized Congress party ally.
In fact, the DMK did realize the damage Stalin's remarks were causing even within Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister MK Stalin asked his party members to actually shut up a few days after the controversy arose.
Many politicians underestimate the extent to which a substantial chunk of Hindus, across caste lines, are angered when hate is directed at their religion. DMK politicians and ideologues believe that this love for Hinduism is limited only to Brahmins. But that's not true, at least in North India. A large chunk of OBCs have been saffronized deeply in the Modi era.
This is not to say that the 'Eradicate Sanatana Dharma' comments are the only reason for Congress' rout in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Nothing in politics is attributable to a single factor. But the sentiment on the ground indicates that the comments have played a role in creating a dent in the Congress vote share.
