The Uttar Pradesh police have registered an FIR (First Information Report) against Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remark against Sanatan Dharma. Udhayanidhi Stalin has made the remarks at an event to 'End Sanatan Dharma' in Chennai recently. By likening the Sanatan Dharma to Malaria, Dengue, and COVID-19, the DMK Minister said that 'we shouldn't oppose the Sanatan Dharma, rather we have to eradicate it' like these diseases.  

Udhayanidhi Stalin's remark to abolish Sanatan Dharma has sparked fury across the nation with the BJP leaders, Hindutva supporters, and seers had sharply reacted to it. Udhayanidhi's remark had irked the BJP high command that even some top Union Ministers including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh had slammed him during the election campaign in Rajasthan. 

A Hindu seer in Ayodhya went on to announce bounty of Rs 10 crore for beheading Udhayanidhi Stalin. The BJP had resorted to its weapon of fake news and claimed that Udhayanidhi called for a genocide of Hindu population that follows Sanatan Dharma. Amid the events that escalated tensions, the police department of BJP-ruling Uttar Pradesh had now filed an FIR against Udhayanidhi Stalin. 

Moreover, the Uttar Pradesh Police had also included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge in the case. On why Priyank Kharge was included in the case, it came to light that he was brought in the FIR for supporting Udhayanidhi Stalin's views of abolishing Sanatan Dharma. The FIR was registered on September 4, based on a complaint filed by a person named Ramsingh Lodhi. 

In his complaint, Lodhi claimed that Udhayanidhi Stalin's speech comparing Sanatan Dharma with diseases such as dengue, malaria, and COVID 'indecent'. By citing that his speech had hurt religious sentiments, the complainant said that Udhayanidhi's remarks could adversely affect the maintainence of enmity and harmony between different groups on the basis of religion. The complainant has also voiced against Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge for supporting Udhayanidhi's views. 

The case against both ministers was booked by The Civil Lines Police Station under Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district under sections 153A - promoting enmity and 295A - insult to religion of the Indian Penal Code. The case has been filed even after Udhayanidhi Stalin gave an explanation that he hadn't called for genocide. He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's propaganda of 'Congress-Mukt Bharat' and whether he is calling for all Congress members to be killed. 

Udhayanidhi accused the BJP of distorting the facts, which is the party's modus operandi. Backing Udhayanidhi's views of abloshing Sanatan Dharma, Priyank Kharge said, "Any religion that doesn't promote equality, any religion that doesn't ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion according to me. Any religion which doesn't give equal rights or doesn't treat you like humans is not a religion, so it is as good as disease."