Supreme Court relief to Udhayanidhi Stalin in Sanatana Dharma Row

Tamil Nadu Main Vice Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. File | Photo credit: the Hindu

The Supreme Court on Monday (January 27, 2025) refused to entertain three writing requests to initiate criminal procedures against the Deputy Director of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, during his September 2023 speech in September 2023. Sanatana Dharma.

A bank headed by Judge Bela Trivedi questioned the maintenance capacity of the writing requests even when high -level defenders Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Tamil Nadu, and P. Wilson, who represents Mr. Udhayanidhi, said the pleas They must be completely dismissed.

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The petitioners, lawyer B. Jagannath and two, represented by the main defender of Lady Seshadri Naidu, said the comments of Mr. Udhayanidhi, who allegedly attracted a comparison between Sanatana Dharma and diseases such as dengue and malaria were equivalent to hate speech.

The petitioners wanted their speech to be declared a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion (article 25) under the Constitution.

When the court expressed doubts about the approach of these pleas through writing requests, Mr. Naidu requested and received permission to withdraw the case. The bank allowed petitioners to retire with Liberty to pursue other remedies available under the law.

The Court had issued a notice to the Government of Tamil Nadu and Mr. Udhayanidhi for the request of Mr. Jagannath on September 22, 2023.

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The petition had urged the Court to order the State Police to register a FIR against Mr. Udhayanidhi and others who participated in the ‘Dharma de Sanatana Eradication Conference’ held on September 2, 2023 in Chennai for an organization called Tamil Nadu Murpoku Ezuthalar Sangam. The petition had also sought a CBI investigation to dig up “sources responsible for the contribution of the quantity for such organizations and if there is any element of terrorist financing involved from the other side of the border.”

“The conference was specifically held for objective Hinduism (it is also known as Sanatana Dharma) “, Said the petition.