An FIR was registered here against DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge for allegedly outraging religious feelings, police said on Wednesday.

Stalin was booked for his call to eradicate Sanatan Dharma and Kharge for backing his remark, they said.

The two were booked under sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different religious groups) of the IPC at Civil Lines Police Station here on Tuesday, reports PTI.

The FIR came at the complaint of lawyers Harsh Gupta and Ram Singh Lodhi who highlighted media reports on Stalin's statement alleging that the politician's comments had hurt their feelings.

Stalin had on Saturday during an event in Tamil Nadu compared the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria.

His comments sparked a backlash from political parties, with BJP insisting on the Congress to condemn his remarks.

Udhayanidhi reiterated that he was ready to face any legal action for his comments. Subramanaian Swamy has claimed on X that he has written to the Tamil Nadu Governor seeking his sanction to initiate action against Udhay.

Asked by NDTV if he could give a current example of social discrimination, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "President Murmu not being invited for the inauguration of the new parliament is the best example of current Sanatana discrimination".

The BJP has denied the allegation.

Earlier on Tuesday, observed as Teachers' Day, Udhayanidhi Stalin had referred to discrimination with an example from Mahabharat.

"Teachers are incomparable people who always think only about the future generations. The bond between our Dravidian movement and teachers who preach virtue without asking for thumbs! It will continue forever. Happy Teacher's Day," read his post on X, formerly Twitter, on Teachers' Day.

In his address at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai last week, the DMK leader likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed, reports PTI.

He, however, later claimed that he had not called for violence against the followers of Sanatan Dharma.

"Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality," he had alleged while reiterating his remarks against Sanatan Dharma, a term used by many Hindus to describe their religion.

Over 260 eminent citizens, including former judges and bureaucrats, have written to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud urging him to take cognisance of the DMK leader's comments, calling it "hate speech."