Speaking at a conference on “Abolition of Sanatana” in Chennai on 2 September 2023, Udhayanidhi said, “Few things cannot be opposed, they should be abolished.”
Published Mar 06, 2025 | 1:17 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 06, 2025 | 1:17 PM
Udhayanidhi Stalin. (X)
Synopsis: The Supreme Court directed that there shall be no fresh FIRs against Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatana Dharma, without the court’s permission. The court extended its previous interim order, which provided an exemption to the deputy chief minister from physically appearing before lower courts conducting proceedings.
The Supreme Court on Thursday, 6 March, directed that there shall be no fresh FIRs against Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatana Dharma, without the court’s permission.
According to a Livelaw report, the bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was hearing the plea by Udhayanidhi seeking to club criminal cases registered against him across multiple states.
The court extended its previous interim order, which provided an exemption to the deputy chief minister from physically appearing before lower courts conducting proceedings. The order also clarified that it would apply to the recently registered cases against Udhayanidhi.
The chief justice, responding to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, noted that the main issue before the court is not the case on merits but whether the multiple FIRs should be transferred to a single place.
The bench proceeded to pass the following order: “Issue notice to the newly added respondents, returnable in the week commencing …..amendment application is allowed, issue notice to newly added respondents on steps taken by petitioner….liberty is granted to newly added respondents to file response within 15 days from the date of service, rejoinder if any after 15 days, interim order to continue and will equally apply to the cases mentioned in the amended WP. We direct no further cases be registered without the permission of this court”
Speaking at a conference on “Abolition of Sanatana” in Chennai on 2 September 2023, organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, Udhayanidhi said, “Few things cannot be opposed, they should be abolished.”
Udhayanidhi was speaking about Sanatana Dharma. He blamed it for promoting division and discrimination among people and said that it should be “eradicated”.
He added, “We can’t oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria or corona. We have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana, rather than oppose it.”
He also said that the word Sanatanam was derived from Sanskrit, that it was against equality and social justice, and that it had been a hindrance to society.
The Supreme Court in March last year, rebuked Udhayanidhi Stalin over his “eradicate Sanatana Dharma” remark and asked why he had moved the top court with his plea after abusing his right to freedom of speech and expression.
“You abuse your right under Article 19(1)(a) (of the Constitution). You abuse your right under Article 25. Now, you are exercising your right under Article 32 (to file a plea in the Supreme Court)? Do you not know the consequences of what you said? You are not a layman, you are a minister. You should know the consequences,” the bench had said.
(Edited by Sumavarsha.)
