Expressing displeasure over Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments against Sanatana Dharma, the Supreme Court said the minister has abused his rights under Article 19(1)(a) and Article 25.
Hearing a plea by the DMK leader seeking to consolidate FIRs registered against him in various states for his controversial comments against Sanatana Dharma, a bench comprising of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said the minister should be aware of the consequences of making such statements.
Appearing for Udhayanidhi, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi sought to club FIRs registered against the DMK leader in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. “You abuse your Article 19(1)(a) right. You abuse your Article 25 right. Now you are exercising your Article 32 right? Do you not know the consequences of what you said?” Justice Datta asked. When the bench advised Singhvi to approach the respective high courts, Singhvi told the court that he would have to approach six High Courts and he would be constantly tied up with the case.
"You are not a layman. You are a minister. You should know the consequences," Justice Datta said. However, the bench agreed to consider the plea on Friday.
Addressing a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai in September, Udhayanidhi allegedly likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. "Few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose Dengue, Mosquitoes, Malaria, or Corona, we have to eradicate thim. That's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated,” he had said.