Hindutva supporter and priest Atmananda Saraswati Swamiji, affiliated with the Samartha Sridharashrama Trust in Bengaluru, has been booked by police for delivering an inflammatory speech inciting violence against Muslims and Christians. The remarks, made during a religious gathering at his residence in Siriram Paradise Apartment, surfaced in a viral video on June 15, sparking widespread outrage.
In the video, Swamiji declares, “Only Sanatana Dharma is the true religion in this country. All others are just groups.” He goes on to make alarming statements such as, “Muslims and Christians must be eliminated using modern weapons,” and justifies communal violence by asserting, “There is no wrong in killing thousands if they go against Sanatana Dharma.”
He further invoked historical and mythological figures, urging Hindus to emulate warrior king Shivaji to “cleanse the nation” of what he called “anti-Dharma” elements. His statements were widely condemned for promoting hate and calling for violence in the name of religion.
The Bengaluru police registered a case suo moto on January 16 under Sections 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police officials clarified that a delay in filing the FIR was due to time spent verifying the authenticity of the video.
The formal complaint was submitted by Head Constable Vinay Kumar AB, who noted that the Swami’s speech had the potential to incite communal violence and disturb public harmony. The FIR came after massive backlash on social media, with many users demanding strong action against those who misuse religious platforms to spread hate.
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com. Read the full story here.