Mumbai (Maharashtra): An Fir has been registered against DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin following a complaint over his remarks on Sanatan Dharma, officials said on Wednesday. Mumbai's Mira Road police have registered the case against the Tamil Nadu minister Stalin under Indian Penal Code Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), the official said.
A BJP delegation in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to the state police demanding registration of an FIR against Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks against 'Sanatana Dharma'. Speaking at a conference earlier in Chennai, Udhayanidhi, the minister for Sports and Youth Affairs in the Tamil Nadu government, railed against Sanatan Dharma, equating it with "dengue, malaria, fever, and corona".
He added that Sanatan Dharma shouldn't be merely opposed but eradicated. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chairing a meeting of the Council of Ministers, weighed in on the furore around Udhayanidhi's remarks, and, according to sources, asked his ministers to aggressively counter the attack on Sanatan Dharma. He advised his ministers to counter the Opposition's narrative on the Sanatan Dharma with facts.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that it was unfair for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “make comments without knowing what Udhayanidhi spoke” on the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ The storm created by "Sanatana Dharma" created a political slugfest in the country. The political rival NDA and INDIA alliance are taking a potshot at each other after the DMK leader equated 'Sanatana Dharma' with "mosquitoes, dengue, malaria, fever and corona".
The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Aam Aadmi Party, which are part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, distanced themselves from the DMK leader. (With Agency inputs)
Also read: Raghav Chadha condemns Stalin's remark, but says DMK leader's statement does not reflect INDIA stand
