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A big row has erupted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with DMK chief Udhayanidhi Stalin trying to break the inertia to eliminate Sanatan Dharma on May 12, 2026, again. As Leader of Opposition, he stated that "Sanatanam, which divides people, must be wiped out.”

The comments echo his 2023 remarks, which resulted in many legal complaints and drew criticism generally. Husam Malik's father, Assembly member C. Joseph Vijay, who was in the Assembly on this occasion, was seated in silence with folded hands.

This has caused anger from BJP leaders as well as the Hindu organizations, who are calling it an attack on the Hindu faith and culture. The DMK was criticized for continuing its alleged anti-Hindu politics in the face of recent electoral reversals. But the remarks were justified as an opposition to caste-based discrimination and social division by the DMK supporters.

The row over secularism, religious tolerance, and Dravidian ideology has caught the early attention of the new government over cultural issues in Tamil Nadu amidst the controversy. Secularism, religious tolerance, and Dravidian ideology issues have provoked a debate in Tamil Nadu politics, with the fresh row drawing early attention to the approach of the new government towards sensitive cultural issues.