Karnataka Minister Kharge Defends Remark On Religion, Asserts Constitution As His Faith

Following the registration of an FIR against Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge in connection with their remarks on 'Sanatana Dharma', Kharge has clarified his stance. He emphasized that his statement was not meant to offend any religious sentiments, explaining, "I said that any religion that discriminates between human beings is not a religion. I follow the Constitution; my religion is the Constitution. If they want to file an FIR against me or arrest me, it is up to the individuals, I really don't care."

Kharge criticized the BJP for allegedly misinterpreting his statement, stating that they misunderstood the context and were free to file as many FIRs as they wished. He asserted, "All I have said is that the Constitution is my religion. Does BJP have a problem with it? These people do not understand Kannada, Hindi, or English."

In a parallel development, Udhayanidhi Stalin issued a statement pledging to address all legal cases against him while accusing PM Modi and the BJP of using the 'Sanatana Dharma' issue as a diversion from other pressing matters, such as the situation in Manipur.

In a four-page letter, Stalin urged the promotion of the ideologies of Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, and Perasiriyar, emphasizing the importance of social justice.

The FIR against Udhayanidhi Stalin and Priyank Kharge was registered under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in response to complaints from advocates Harsh Gupta and Ram Singh Lodhi. They alleged that media reports on Stalin's statements had hurt their religious sentiments, according to PTI reports.