DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge.
Credit: PTI Photo and DH Photo
A case was registered in Uttar Pradesh against Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin's son Udayanidhi Stalin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge in connection with the 'Sanatan Dharma' remarks.
According to the police sources here, the case was registered at Civil Lines police station in the state's Rampur town, about 325 kilometres from here.
The case against Udayanidhi and Priyank Kharge was lodged after two residents of the town, Ram Singh Lodhi, and Harsh Gupta, handed over a complaint to the district police chief in this regard on Wednesday.
In their complaints, Lodhi and Gupta alleged that the reported remarks of the two leaders on the 'Sanatan Dharma' had adversely impacted communal harmony.
Police sources said that the case was registered under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code.
A senior police official said in Rampur that the matter would be investigated and necessary action in accordance with the law would be taken. Udayanidhi had reportedly called for eradicating the 'Sanatan Dharma' while Priyank Kharge had supported his remarks.
Udayanidhi's remarks have drawn sharp reactions from the BJP as well as from the Hindu religious leaders, with one prominent seer announcing a reward of Rs 10 crore to whosoever 'beheaded' him.
The opposition parties, in an apparent bid to deflect the criticism and counter the BJP sought action against Uttar Pradesh minister Satish Sharma, who was caught on camera washing hands near the 'shivling' at a famous Shiva Temple in the state's Barabanki district, about 40 kilometres from here.
A video, which went viral on social media platforms, purportedly showed UP minister Satish Sharma washing his hands by the side of the 'shivling' as another UP minister Jitin Prasada looked on.
The opposition parties launched a scathing attack on the BJP and accused it of ''using the religion for the purpose of electoral gains only''.
''These people (BJP leaders), who indulge in politics in the name of religion, don't even know that it is not proper to wash hands so close to the shivling.....these people have neither faith in the religion nor in the faith of the people,'' a post on Congress' official X (formerly twitter) handle said.