On a day when former Union Minister and a senior DMK leader A Raja reportedly said Sanatan Dharma should be compared to diseases such as AIDS and leprosy that have a social stigma attached to them, which is similar to the remarks by his party colleague Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, the chief minister M K Stalin came out in defence of his son Udhayanidhi saying some used the Sanatana doctrine to perpetuate oppression against women.

Stalin accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the issue as a diversionary tactic. A day earlier Modi said parties and leaders behind such statements should be exposed and the truth brought before people.

The chief minister cited media reports quoting Modi’s call for a proper response to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks. He added this was disheartening.

Congress, which is in coalition in the DMK government and also both major stakeholders in the newly formed Opposition bloc called INDIA, said it did not agree with the remarks of DMK leaders and asserted the party believed in "sarvadharma sambhav" (equal respect to all religions).

The opposition party also asserted that every single member of the INDIA alliance has immense respect for all faiths, communities and beliefs. Other parties like Trinamool Congress and AAP has already condemned the statement by Stalin junior.

Under intense attack from the BJP, Udhayanidhi Stalin too mounted an offensive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he accused the saffron party leaders of "twisting" his statements made at conference last week.

The DMK Youth Wing chief, who is the state minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, vowed to face all cases in this connection legally.

The chief minister said Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagamthe (DMK) provided the women what Sanatan denied them.

He hit out at BJP and said it will find itself sinking in quicksand if it believes it can tarnish DMK’s reputation over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments that “Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated”.

M K Stalin said the formation of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which includes DMK, seems to have rattled Modi.

He said contrary to what the BJP has alleged, his son never called for genocide. He added that Udhayanidhi Stalin spoke up against oppressive ideologies. The chief minister wondered whether Modi, who has access to all the resources to verify any claim or report, is unaware of the lies spread about Udhayanidhi Stalin or if he was doing it anyway knowingly.

The father son duo said DMK respects all religions that teach all lives are born equal. "But without an iota of understanding about any of these, Thiru Modi and Co are solely dependent on such slanders to face the Parliamentary elections. On the one hand, I can only feel sorry for them. For the last 9 years, Modi has been doing nothing. Occasionally he demonetises money, builds wall to hide huts, builds new Parliament building, erects a Sengol (scepter) there, plays around by changing the name of the country, standing at border and making the white flag work," Udaynidhi lashed out. Asked about comments by leaders of ally DMK, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "The Congress has always believed in 'sarvadharma sambhav' wherein every religion, every faith has its space. No one can treat any particular faith as less than another faith."

"Neither the Constitution allows this nor the Indian National Congress believes in any of these comments," Khera said during a press conference at the AICC headquarters.

Pressed further as to why the Congress had not condemned the remarks, Khera said, "I just said we do not agree with such comments."

Asked if the Congress would raise this with its ally DMK, Khera said there is no need to raise these issues because "we know for a fact that each one of our constituents also respects every religion".

"Now if you want to twist anybody's remarks, they are free to do so. If it suits the PM let him twist those remarks but every single member of the INDIA alliance has immense respect for all faiths, communities, beliefs and religions," he said.