A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told Stalin that he was a minister and should know the consequences of his remark.
Udhayanidhi Stalin at ABP Network's event. (Udhaystalin/ X)
The Supreme Court on Monday, 4 March, rebuked Tamil Nadu Minister 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.
A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told Udhayanidhi that he was a minister and should know the consequences of his remark.
“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 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 said and adjourned the matter to 15 March.
Udhayanidhi Stalin is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ruling DMK chief MK Stalin.
Speaking at a conference in September 2023, Udhayanidhi Stalin said that Sanatana dharma is against social justice and equality and should be “eradicated.
Speaking at a conference on “Abolition of Sanatana” in Chennai on 2 September, 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 Sanatana Dharma 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.
As a controversy erupted over his comments, DMK MP A Raja, too, waded in and called Sanatana Dharma a “social disgrace”.
Speaking at a protest meeting against Vishwakarma Yojana, organised by the Dravidar Kazhagam in Chennai on 6 September, Raja said Udhayanidhi’s comparisons were too mild and went on to compare Sanatana Dharma to HIV and leprosy.
Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, also reacting to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks, said that any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and “is as good as a disease”.
“Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that doesn’t ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion, according to me. So it is as good as a disease,” Priyank Kharge said.
The remarks caused an uproar from the BJP and other right-wing outfits.
(With PTI inputs)
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