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by IANS |
New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a blistering attack at the ecosystem, comprising Congress and INDIA bloc allies, for their hatred and pointed attacks at the Sanatan Dharma and demanded that DMK minister Udhaynidhi Stalin be made to face the law for his pernicious attack on Hinduism.
It also welcomed the Madras High Court’s order which quashed the criminal case against BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, by the Trichy City Crime Branch police in connection with a social media post, and dubbed the comments by DMK minister as hate speech.
The High Court, in its order passed on Tuesday, observed that the statements made by Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma in 2023, which had triggered a massive political controversy across the country, amounted to hate speech.
Addressing a press conference at BJP HQs, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala tore into the DMK government for filing a false case to harass the BJP leader and also accused it of using state agencies to target its political rivals.
“I want to ask the ecosystem, what happened to free speech in case of Amit Malviya,” he said.
He also demanded that the DMK minister be immediately removed from his post for hateful comments against Sanatan Dharma and a case be filed against him.
“Congress claims to be champion of Hindus but goes silent despite DMK minister’s open call for exterminating Hindus. When will Congress say that state govt should initiate action against Udaynidhi Stalin,” Poonawala demanded.
Hailing the Madras High Court's order, the BJP leader remarked, "One thing needs to be said about Madras High Court order that came yesterday. Satyamev Jayate. Truth always prevails."
"This order pertains to a case that was filed with the intention of vendetta and vindictive politics. The DMK government filed this case only to harass and persecute BJP IT Cell head and West Bengal co-in-charge, Amit Malviya, for speaking the truth," he stated.
Poonawalla, referring to Stalin's remarks from 2023, said that the DMK leader and son of TN CM MK Stalin had called for not just resisting Sanatan but for its complete abolition and eradication.
"When these remarks were called out by Amit Malviya, instead of taking action against Udhayanidhi Stalin, the entire DMK machinery, police and other agencies were left to vindictively target Amit Malviya," the BJP leader pointed out.
"No action was taken on Udhayanidhi Stalin's poisonous statement; action was taken against those who, as Hindus and followers of Sanatan, raised this issue," he said.
Notably, the Madurai bench of Madras High Court quashed the FIR registered in 2023, against BJP leader Amit Malviya for alleged distortion of Udaynidhi Stalin’s remarks and dubbed latter’s comments as ‘hate speech’.
It also noted that no criminal case were registered against the Minister in Tamil Nadu in connection with his alleged hate speech, though cases have been filed in other states.
The controversy dates back to September 2023, when Udhayanidhi Stalin sparked a nationwide debate with his remarks on Sanatana Dharma at a public event.
"Few things cannot be opposed; they should be abolished. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona; we have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana, rather than opposing it," he had said.
Stalin had further argued that Sanatana Dharma was fundamentally opposed to social justice and equality, claiming that it entrenched divisions based on caste and religion.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from several quarters, with BJP and Hindu outfits calling it an "open call for genocide" of followers of Sanatana Dharma.
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