After Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks against Sanatana Dharma evoked major backlash from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and many right-wing groups, a complaint was filed against him in Muzaffarpur district court on Monday, September 4. The complainant, Sunil Kumar Ojha, is a lawyer in the district court of Muzaffarpur. He claimed that Udhayanidhi's remark has deeply hurt the sentiments of Hindus.
“The statement of Udhayanidhi has hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus of the country. He has made such a statement to take political advantage. We have appealed to the court to take strong action against him. My case is admitted in the court and the next hearing is scheduled on September 14,” Ojha said. He also named Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi’s father, in the complaint, alleging that the statement was made at CM Stalin’s bidding.
The complainant sought legal action against Udhayanidhi Stalin under Sections 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Speaking at a Sanatanam (Sanatan Dharma) Abolition Conclave organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum on September 2, Udhayanidhi had said: "I congratulate the organisers for calling the conference as 'eradication of Santana dharma' instead of 'opposing Sanatana Dharma'... There are certain things which we have to eradicate and we cannot merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue, corona and malaria are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this. Eradication and not opposing Sanatanam has to be our first task.”
Sanatana Dharma is known as the Eternal Way or eternal laws which are central to Hinduism. Like most anti-caste leaders and groups, many parties in Tamil Nadu such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) have opposed Sanatana Dharma for its role in defining the ‘varnashrama dharma’ or the caste system.
After many BJP leaders and right-wing groups interpreted Udhayanidhi’s remarks as calling for a ‘genocide’ of followers of Sanatana Dharma, the DMK leader refuted this interpretation and said, “I never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma. Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality… I am prepared to confront any challenges that come my way, whether in a court of law or the people's court. Stop spreading fake news.”
Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi claimed that the remarks were part of a strategy to “humiliate” the Hindu community. “Leaders who are making statements against Sanatan Dharma should be booked under stringent laws. The Supreme Court should take cognisance of the matter. It is highly objectionable and sedition charges should be imposed on him,” Modi said.