Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin And BJP Leader Amit Malviya Trade FIRs Amid Religious Sentiment Controversy

In what appears to be a retaliatory move against the Uttar Pradesh police's FIR filing against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on charges of promoting enmity and hurting religious sentiments, Tamil Nadu police have initiated separate FIRs against BJP IT wing leader Amit Malviya and religious leader Ramachandra Das Paramhans Acharya.

Acharya is facing allegations of issuing death threats to Udhayanidhi, while Malviya is accused of inciting tension and violence against the minister. Both individuals are charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including provocation to cause a riot, promoting enmity, and criminal intimidation.

This development comes after Rampur police in Uttar Pradesh registered an FIR against Udhayanidhi and Kharge, the sons of Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively. The initial FIR, filed on Tuesday, was based on a complaint by Ram Singh Lodhi, a lawyer who claimed that Udhayanidhi and Priyank had offended his religious sentiments by making "statements against Sanatan Dharma."

Regarding Udhayanidhi's remarks, Priyank had commented, "...Any religion that does not have equal rights and does not treat you as a human being is as good as a disease." The FIR against them was filed under IPC sections related to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and promote enmity.

Tamil Nadu police, in their statement on Wednesday, disclosed that Acharya had offered a reward of Rs 10 crore for anyone capable of beheading Udhayanidhi with a sword. According to the complainant, J Devasenan, the legal adviser to DMK's Madurai city unit, the Ayodhya religious leader allegedly declared that if no one stepped forward, he would undertake the task himself.

the statement noted. It further stated that the video had led to "widespread fear and religious tension" among people in Tamil Nadu that this brazen threat was followed by the release of a video where a photo of the minister was symbolically pierced with a sword,

Regarding Malviya's involvement, it is alleged that he distorted the essence of Udayanidhi's speech, suggesting that the minister had incited violence against those practicing Sanatan Dharma. Udhayanidhi clarified his position, asserting that he had never advocated any form of violence. Instead, he maintained that he had consistently spoken out against social injustices perpetuated by certain elements within religious frameworks, drawing parallels with the societal harm caused by diseases. The FIR against Malviya was filed based on a complaint by K A V Dinakaran, the head of DMK's Trichy southern district legal team.