Team Clarion
HAMIRPUR – In a developing controversy, four Dalit men in Kurara, Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, have been booked by the police for allegedly making “anti-Hindu remarks against Hindu Gods” during a gathering commemorating the birth anniversary of Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, commonly known as ‘Thanthai’ Periyar, a revered social reformer and writer. The FIR, filed on September 19, has sparked debates over freedom of expression and religious sentiments.
A video of the event shows one of the accused, Amar Singh, making provocative statements, saying, “One who has created God is a fool, and the one who propagates God is ‘dusht’ (wicked), and He who worships God is even a bigger fool. This is the truth.” The video subsequently went viral, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Amar Singh, Dr. Suresh, Avdhesh, and Ashok Vidhyarti.
The FIR has charged the accused under sections 295 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code. Section 295 pertains to “making destruction of a place of worship/object held sacred, with intent to insult the religion of a class of person,” while section 153A deals with “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language, etc.”
Advocate Hardaul Singh, the brother of the main accused, has defended the four men, asserting that they are Dalits who work as social workers and are not affiliated with any political party. He claimed that they were merely discussing Periyar’s work, which criticized casteism and religious rituals and idols that he believed perpetuated blind devotion.
“They were not trying to hurt any person or their religious sentiments,” said Advocate Hardaul Singh. He added that his brother, Amar Singh, is now facing pressure and fear due to the ongoing controversy.
The FIR alleges that the accused “insulted Hindu Gods and Goddesses with insulting language in his speech in front of people, which also included children.” However, Singh contended that approximately 150 people in the audience were attentively listening to the discussion, and children were given chocolates, diaries, and pens as part of the celebration.
Amit Rajavat of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the complainant in the case, claimed that the accused also spoke against certain religious practices and rituals during the event. He said, “Four men are booked, but now there is uncertainty whether all of these four men were involved. The police are now investigating, so if any of them are innocent, they would be let go.”
Rajavat noted the presence of flags and banners of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) at the gathering, suggesting political affiliations. He emphasized that Amar Singh continued to speak, while the audience primarily listened and applauded.
One of the accused, Vidyarthi, told Rajavat that he is not a member of any political party and that they were celebrating Periyar’s birthday, during which Amar was quoting Periyar’s views. Rajavat questioned why no one intervened if they disagreed with Amar’s statements.
Periyar, a staunch critic of Brahmanical and non-Brahmanical religious rituals, was known for his atheistic beliefs and writings that criticized religious norms he believed hindered rational thinking and perpetuated inequalities. He famously stated, “He who created god is a fool, he who propagates god is a scoundrel, and he who worships god is a barbarian.” Tamil Nadu also observes his birthday as ‘Social Justice Day.’
The police have confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the matter. The incident has ignited a debate on the boundaries of freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and the role of politics in such controversies.
