Plea in SC seeks FIR against U Stalin & CBI probe into meeting titled 'Sanatan Dharma Eradication conference'

The plea filed by a Madras High Court lawyer sought a direction to the home secretary and the Director General of Police of the state of Tamil Nadu to immediately appoint a nodal officer for hate speech as per the Supreme Court 2018 judgment.

New Delhi: A Madras High Court lawyer has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to Home Secretary and the Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately direct an investigation and inquiry into meeting titled 'Sanatana DharmaEradication conference' held on September 2, 2023, and also an FIR against Tamil Nadu minister U Stalin. The plea also sought order of Injunction against Udaynidhi Stalin, Peter Alphonse, A Raja, and Thol Thirumavalavan and their followers not to make any further hate speech against Sanatana Dharma/ Hinduism.

The plea has been filed by B Jagannath seeking a declaration that participation of the state ministers in the meeting titled 'Sanatana Dharma Eradication conference' held on September 2, 2023 as unconstitutional violative of Articles 25 & 26 of the Constitution. The plea also sought a direction against the Tamil Nadu State Government Higher Education Department that in all secondary schools none of these conferences against any Hindu Dharma shall take place as per the Supreme Court judgement in Hijab case of Karnataka.

The plea urged the apex court to immediately direct the state Director General of Police to submit a report as to how the conference was given police permission and why no action has been taken against the perpetrators and organisation responsible for the said conference titled Sanatana Dharma Eradication Conference.

The plea sought a direction to the home secretary and the Director General of Police of the state of Tamil Nadu to immediately appoint a nodal officer for hate speech as per the Supreme Court 2018 judgment. The plea said, “Petitioner's fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 14, 16, 19, 21, 25 and 26 have been directly infringed by the respondents and is therefore filing the present Writ Petition before this court”.

The plea contended that it is not known whether any permission was granted by the Tamil Nadu Police department for conducting such conferences as the heading and title suggests the same is being done for eradication of a particular religion. “And if the police had indeed granted permission they have the responsibility and duty to inform to this Honourable Court whether there was political interference to the police department in granting such permission for such conferences and if so from whom· and further if there is no permission granted how come the organisers have not been arrested till date”, said the plea.

The plea was mentioned by a counsel for urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. The Chief Justice declined urgent hearing on the petition on the ground that the plea “was not on the list for urgent mentioning”. The Chief Justice said, “There is a certain SOP here and everyone has to follow it….”.

Another plea by advocate Vineet Jindal has been filed in the apex court seeking FIR against Udhaynidhi Stalin & A Raja for "hate speeches against Sanatan Dharam".