SC issues notice on plea seeking FIR against Udhayanidhi on his remarks on Sanatan Dharma

SC issued notice on plea seeking an FIR (first information report) against Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark. The petitioner sought an investigation into the meeting titled Sanatana Dharma Eradication conference held in TN and also an injunction against Udhayanidhi Stalin and others.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to Udaynidhi Stalin over his remarks on Sanatan Dharma. The plea was filed by a Madras-based lawyer seeking registration of an FIR against Stalin and also an injunction against him and his followers not to make any further hate speech against Sanatan Dharma/ Hinduism.

A bench comprising justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi queried Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing the petitioner, why can’t his client go to the High Court and pursue the matter. Naidu stressed that a constitutional functionary speaking like this is impermissible and secondly, students should not be forced to speak out against any dharma. Naidu asked for tagging the matter with hate speech cases.

The bench said no tagging order and issued notice on the plea. The bench told the petitioner’s counsel that he was converting the apex court into a police station, and he should have gone to the High Court.

The 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 Dharma Eradication 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”.