Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin has condemned the chanting of "Jai Shree Ram", a slogan used by the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politically, during the India-Pakistan match in the Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad last Saturday.

On X, Stalin posted a video which shows the crowd was chanting "Jai Shree Ram" as Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan was walking back to the pavilion after being dismissed.

Stalin wrote on X, "India is renowned for its sportsmanship and hospitality. However, the treatment meted out to Pakistan players at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is unacceptable and a new low.

"Sports should be a unifying force between countries, fostering true brotherhood. Using it as a tool to spread hatred is condemnable."

Slamming Stalin, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia has called the DMK leader a "dengue malaria mosquito".

Bhatia posted on X, "The hateful dengue malaria mosquito has come out again to spread poison. When a match is stopped and namaz is offered on the field, you smell a snake.

"Our Lord Shri Ram resides in every corner of the universe, so say Jai Shri Ram."

Stalin's 'Sanatan Dharma' remark

Weeks prior to the "Jai Shri Ram" comment, Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, had stirred a row by his remarks on the 'Sanatan Dharma'.

In an address, Udhayanidhi, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, said as quoted by The Indian Express, "Some things cannot be opposed, they should be eradicated. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, and Corona cannot be opposed. They should be eradicated. So should Sanatan (Dharma)."

The DMK minister said, "What did Sanatanam do to women? It prevented them from stepping out of the house, made them commit sati (self-immolation on their husband’s pyre), and shave their head and wear a white saree post their husband’s death. It also led to child marriages."

"While we think of introducing schemes to benefit our student’s education, fascists are coming up with schemes to stop them from achieving that because the principle of Sanatanam is that we shouldn’t study at all, and NEET is one fine example of that," he added.