An FIR has been registered against Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge over the remarks made on the ‘Sanatan Dharma’, alleging them of outraging religious sentiments. Both the DMK and Congress leaders were booked under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after complaints from advocates in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur.
Stalin Jr and Priyank Kharge
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The FIR came at the complaint of lawyers Harsh Gupta and Ram Singh Lodhi who highlighted media reports on Stalin's statement alleging that the politician's comments had hurt their feelings.
Last week, Stalin Jr criticised the Sanatan Dharma – an endonym frequently used to refer Hinduism – at an event in Tamil Nadu and compared it with diseases like dengue and malaria, and allegedly called for its eradication.
His comments sparked row from political parties, with BJP insisting on the Congress to condemn his remarks. However, the Kharge Jr came forward in support of DMK leader's remark saying ‘any religion that does not promote equality and does not ensure that you have the dignity of being a human is not a religion, according to me’.
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Responding to reports of FIR, Kharge reiterated his statement that he made earlier.
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Responding to reports of FIR, Kharge reiterated his statement that he made earlier.
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“I don't care, they can do what they want, my statement is very clear. It is not against any particular religion. I had stated that any religion that does not preach equality is not a religion according to me. Constitution is my religion. If UP has a problem, I do not see it to be mine. We will do whatever needs to be done,” he told news agency ANI.
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Home/India News/Udhayanidhi Stalin, Priyank Kharge booked for ‘hurting religious sentiments’
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