In the wake of an FIR filed against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge over their remarks on Sanatana Dharma, Kharge clarified his statement, asserting that it was not intended to hurt the sentiments of any religion. Kharge stated, “I said that any religion that discriminates between human beings is not a religion. I follow the Constitution; my religion is the Constitution. If they want to file an FIR against me or they want to arrest me, it is up to the individuals, I really don’t care.”
Kharge further criticized the BJP for allegedly misinterpreting his statement, stating that they do not understand the language and can file the FIR. He emphasized, “All I have said is that the Constitution is my religion. Does BJP have a problem with it? These people do not understand Kannada, Hindi, or English. Let them file as many FIRs as they want; they are free to do so.”
Udhayanidhi Stalin also released a statement, asserting that he would face all cases legally and accusing PM Modi and the BJP of using the Sanatana ploy to divert attention from other pressing issues, including the violence in Manipur.
An FIR was launched against Udhayanidhi Stalin and Priyank Kharge under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following complaints from advocates Harsh Gupta and Ram Singh Lodhi, who claimed that the politicians’ comments had hurt their religious sentiments.
Udhayanidhi Stalin had compared Sanatana Dharma to diseases like dengue and malaria, stating that it should not be merely opposed but “eradicated.” Priyank Kharge had remarked that any religion failing to promote equality was as good as a disease.
Sources By Agencies
