The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that no further FIRs should be registered against Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his call to eradicate “Sanatan Dharma”.
Earlier, solicitor-general Tushar Mehta had opposed any such relief to the DMK leader and questioned whether it could be tolerated if the chief minister of any state talked about “eradicating Islam”.
The apex court further extended its earlier interim protection through which it had stayed any coercive action against Udhayanidhi as it posted the matter for further hearing on April 28.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar passed the directive on an application moved by Stalin Jr in the wake of a fresh FIR being filed in Bihar against him over his remarks at a conference in September 2023. The DMK leader wanted the multiple FIRs registered against him to be clubbed together and heard at one place.
The proceedings saw a slanging match between Mehta and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Stalin Jr. Mehta was appearing for the government of Maharashtra, where one of the first FIRs was registered.
As the CJI told Mehta that there should not be any fresh FIRs, the government law officer questioned the rationale behind such a restriction and argued that it was the Supreme Court that had earlier directed that FIRs must be promptly registered against all those who deliver hate speeches and officials would be held for contempt if they didn't comply.
“Your Lordships may kindly note that it was a Sanatan Dharma Eradication Conference and the person who is the deputy chief minister had said that Sanatana Dharma is to be eradicated like mosquitoes, corona, malaria and dengue…. Kindly note that hell would have broken loose if any chief minister of any other state had talked about the eradication of any religion other than Sanatan Dharma and had said that a particular religion, say Islam, should be eradicated…,” Mehta said.
He added: “Just because one community does not react violently to eradication comments, should such words be condoned?” CJI Khanna said the court would not go into the merits of the allegations at this stage.
Singhvi defended Stalin Jr by saying his comments were less offensive than that of Nupur Sharma, the then BJP spokesperson, in connection with which the court had directed the clubbing of multiple cases.
