Bharath Hindu Munnani’s North Chennai District President, Yuvaraj, filed a complaint against film director Pa. Ranjith at the Chennai Police Commissioner’s office on Monday, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about Hinduism during a private YouTube interview.
In his complaint, Yuvaraj alleged that Ranjith’s statements were disrespectful towards Hindu beliefs and deities. According to the complaint, Ranjith had commented in the interview, “There was a Nandi statue opposite the school I attended. People would say if you climb on that stone, you could fly up to the sky. I tried standing on it to see if I could fly. People also said that if you stood on a book, you wouldn’t learn anything. I deliberately stood on books and sat on them. I did such things when I was young. Similarly, they had planted three stones as a deity, and I stood on them.”
Yuvaraj expressed his shock upon watching the video, stating that Ranjith’s remarks insult the millions of Hindus worldwide who revere Nandi as a form of Lord Shiva. He also noted that Saraswati, the goddess of learning, is worshipped annually on Vijayadashami, with devotees placing books before the deity as a mark of respect. Additionally, in rural areas, Muniswaran and female deities are worshipped by placing three stones, which are regarded as sacred.
Yuvaraj accused Ranjith of belittling these traditions and hurting the sentiments of Hindus with his statements. The complaint demanded legal action against the director and called for the removal of the controversial video from YouTube.
The complaint has raised concerns among various Hindu organizations, who view Ranjith’s comments as an affront to their religious beliefs. The police are expected to investigate the matter further.