The Supreme Court admonished Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on March 4 for his petition seeking the quashing or consolidation of six FIRs lodged across five states related to his alleged hate speech against ‘Sanatan Dharma.’ The court adjourned the plea for hearing on March 15.
Last September, Udhayanidhi Stalin, a DMK leader and son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, sparked controversy by likening Sanatana Dharma to diseases like ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue’ during an event titled ‘Sanatana Eradication Conference’ in Chennai. His comments led to criminal complaints and PILs filed against him, resulting in FIRs being filed in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, and Bihar.
The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, rebuked Udhayanidhi for abusing his right to free speech under Article 19 and freedom to practice religion under Article 25 before approaching the Supreme Court invoking Article 32.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Udhayanidhi, clarified that the plea sought consolidation of FIRs and not justification for his client’s comments. Singhvi cited previous cases where the court had agreed to consolidate FIRs and urged the bench to consider the plea separately from the merits of the case.
The Supreme Court had earlier agreed to hear a plea seeking the registration of an FIR against Udhayanidhi and others for hate speech. The plea also sought the declaration of the participation of state ministers in the ‘Sanatana Dharma Eradication’ conference as unconstitutional.
