New Delhi: Heavy police deployment is in place in Chennai on Monday ahead of state BJP president K Annamalai's protest against the state's ministers and DMK leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin and P.K. Sekar Babu over the 'Sanatana Dharma' issue, reported news agency PTI.
Speaking to reporters, "The police stopped us during our march against (Udhayanidhi Stalin) and senior officials have requested us that we trust them. This is why a team under our party vice president Karu Nagarajan is going to the Commissioner's office to lodge another complaint, quoting all the provisions, including the Supreme Court's verdict on hate speech. An FIR should be filled against Udhayanidhi Stalin and Sekar Babu immediately."
This comes after the recent controversy over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's 'Anti Sanatan' remark, where he compared Sanatan Dharma to diseases like dengue, malaria, or the Coronavirus.
The BJP claimed that Minister Sekar Babu, who heads the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, participated in the conference on Sanatan Dharma, where Udhayanidhi went on an explosive rant, thereby violating his oath of office.
Earlier in the day, K Annamalai had said the Chief Minister MK Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi, is the most important reason for the growth of BJP in Tamil Nadu.
"With DMK opposing 'Sanatana Dharma', BJP will keep growing in Tamil Nadu. This did not happen under the leadership of former CM Karunanidhi. Now a fault line has formed in Tamil Nadu. As far as politics is concerned, whenever there is a fault line, there is an opportunity for a new party. DMK has opened the door for us in Tamil Nadu. In terms of ideology, Udhayanidhi Stalin is the most important reason for the growth of BJP in Tamil Nadu," he told reporters.
Similar protests will also be held across the state, demanding that the offices of the Hindu Charitable Department be blocked in all the districts of Tamil Nadu.
More than 20 police officers have been deployed and barricades have been placed before the HR & CE Chennai Office, police officials said.
Earlier, a controversy broke out after Udhayanidhi addressing the 'Santana Abolition Conference' said, "Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality." "Few things cannot be opposed; those should be abhorred only. We cannot oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona; we have to eradicate them. That's how we eradicate Sanatana. Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated."