Chennai: A local court in Patna issued summons to Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu minister and son of chief minister MK Stalin, in a case related to his four-month-old remarks against Sanatan Dharma.
The special judge (MP/MLA cases) Sarika Wahaliya also asked Udhayanidhi to appear in person or through a lawyer before the court on February 13 to answer charges levelled against him under various sections of the IPC.
While speaking at the writersā conference in Chennai in the first week of September last year, Udhayanidhi had said, āSanatana is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated and not be simply opposed.ā The Tamil Nadu minister had also argued that the Sanatan Dharma is inherently regressive, dividing people on the basis of caste and gender, and is fundamentally opposed to equality and social justice.ā
His remarks had invited sharp criticism from the BJP leaders.
Pained over the ministerās remarks, Kaushalendra Narayan, a Patna high court lawyer, filed a criminal case against Udhayanidhi before the court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM), Patna on September 4. The case was filed under Sections 153(A), 295(A), 298, 500 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code.
As the matter was related to a minister of Tamil Nadu, the CJM transferred the case to the court of special judge (MP/ MLA cases) Sarika Wahaliya, who took cognizance in the matter on January 6 this year.
āThe summon against Udhayanidhi has been sent to the office of the Patna SSP for necessary action by the court,ā lawyer Kaushalendra Narayan said.