NEW DELHI: DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress’ Priyank Kharge have been booked over their controversial remarks regarding Sanatan Dharma, in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh.
Stalin, a minister in the government of his father MK Stalin, kicked up a row last Saturday by calling for eradication of Sanatan Dharma, which he compared with mosquitoes, dengue, coronavirus.
Priyanka, the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and a minister in Karnataka, is accused of making a statement allegedly endorsing Stalin’s remarks.
READ MORE: Explainer: Politics behind Stalin’s ‘eradicate Sanatan Dharma’ vow
Based on a complaint filed by an advocate, the Rampur Police have registered a case against the two leaders under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) and 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the civil lines police station.
Addressing ‘Sanatan Dharma Abolition Conclave’ in Chennai, Stalin on September 2 said that Sanatan Dharma opposes the concept of social justice.
“A mere opposition would not work. You can’t oppose dengue, malaria, and coronavirus, you need to eradicate them,” he told the gathering organized by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum.
READ MORE: After Stalin, D Raja attacks Sanatan, says it’s not dharma but patriarchal
The complainant have described his remarks as “indecent” and argued that they have offended religious sentiments. The FIR also expresses concerns regarding the potential impact of these statements on religious harmony and social cohesion.
The reaction to Stalin’s comments has been swift. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai and BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya have accused him of effectively supporting the “genocide of 80 per cent of Bharat’s population” who adhere to Sanatan Dharma.