Sanatan Dharma Row: Petition Filed In Bihar Court Against A Raja, Priyank Kharge

A petition has been filed before Muzaffarpur court on Friday accusing DMK MP A Raja and Congress leader and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge of hurting Hindu sentiments.

The petition has been filed before the Muzaffarpur court’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Lal by local resident and lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha, who prior to this week filed a similar complaint against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who heads the DMK, and the latter’s son and minister Udayanidhi.

In the petition, Ojha, who remains in news for his petitions against political bigwigs and other celebrities, assailed the statements of Raja and Kharge, both of whom came out in support of controversial remarks of Udayanidhi about “Sanatan Dharma”, a term often used to denote the Hindu faith.

Furthermore, the petitioner has sought trial of Raja and Kharge, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court has posted the matter for further hearing on September 16.

Previously, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister, who is also the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, caused significant outrage with his remarks calling for the eradication of “Sanatana Dharma.” He equated Sanatana Dharma with diseases like “mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, fever, and Corona,” asserting that it should be eliminated.

In response to the controversy, Udhayanidhi Stalin clarified on X (Previously Twitter) that he did not advocate for the genocide of Sanatan Dharma followers. He stated that Sanatan Dharma promotes division based on caste and religion, and uprooting it is a stance in favor of humanity and human equality.

On a related note, A. Raja made controversial comments during a protest meeting against the central government’s Vishwakarma Yojana in Chennai. He remarked that Udhayanidhi’s views on ‘Sanatana Dharma’ were relatively mild. Raja drew a comparison between Sanatana Dharma and diseases like leprosy and HIV, suggesting they all carry social stigma.