The Supreme Court bench led by CJI Chandrachud on Friday refused to grant an urgent hearing to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s recent comments at the ‘Sanatana Dharma Eradication Conference’, where the DMK leader had called for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma and likened it to mosquitos and coronavirus.
Refusing to entertain the request for the urgent listing, CJI Chandrachud turned down the plea filed by a Madras High Court lawyer and advised him to follow standard operating procedures circulated by the court.
The plea filed by the lawyer asked for a declaration stating that the State Ministers’ participation in the event titled “Sanatana Dharma Eradication conference” on September 2, 2023, is unconstitutional and violates Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India.
Furthermore, the plea asked the top court to direct the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu to immediately register a First Information Report (FIR) against the organisers of the said conference & the perpetrators of Hate speech including Stalin, PK Sekar Babu & Peter Alphonse.
G Balaji, the advocate who filed the petition, also demanded a CBI investigation to ascertain if there is any involvement of terror funding, especially from Sri Lanka Tamil LTTE funds, in the organisation of the ‘Sanatana Dharma Eradication Conference’. Citing a Supreme Court judgment in the case, the plea contended that such events that seek to demonise the Hindu Dharma should not be held in secondary schools in the state.
The plea is scheduled for hearing on September 22. Earlier, a similar petition had been filed by a Delhi-based lawyer against Udhayanidhi for his derogatory remarks against the Sanatana Dharma, along with contempt action against Delhi Police for not implementing the Supreme Court’s guidelines concerning the complaint filed against Stalin’s ‘hate speech.’ Besides, on September 5, a list of 262 eminent citizens, including former high court judges, bureaucrats, and war veterans, submitted a letter to the Chief Justice of India, urging him to take suo motu cognizance of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma.
Udhayanidhi wants to ‘eradicate’ Sanatan Dharma
On 2nd September, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, went on a tirade against Sanatan Dharma on social media.
The development came hours after he courted controversy for comparing the Hindu civilisational, religious philosophy with ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue.’ While talking to X (formerly Twitter), Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote, “Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion.”
“Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality…I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalised who suffer from the Sanatan Dharma. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalised, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma,” he said.
