Chennai: The Supreme Court rejected Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s plea to consolidate multiple FIRs registered against him for his controversial remarks on ‘Sanatana Dharma.’ The Court stated that Udhayanidhi Stalin cannot claim legal immunity like journalists because he made the controversial comments of his own volition.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented Udhayanidhi Stalin and requested the Court to consolidate multiple cases registered in different states (Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Maharashtra) against Udhayyanidhi Stalin regarding his speech about ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to be eradicate. His advocate referenced previous instances where multiple cases against journalists, such as Arnab Goswami, Amish Devgan, and Mohammed Zubair, in different states were later transferred to one state.
However, the Supreme Court stated that Udhayanidhi Stalin had made the statements voluntarily and thus cannot be compared with journalists.
“You (Udhayanidhi Stalin) have made the statements voluntarily; you are misusing your rights,” the court said adding that Udhayanidhi Stalin cannot compare himself with journalists. This declaration was made by a five-judge bench, including Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had criticized Udhayanidhi Stalin for his controversial remarks calling for the eradication of ‘Sanatana Dharma’ and reminded him that he is “not a layman but a Minister” and should be aware of the consequences of his remarks.
“You abuse your rights under freedom of speech and expression and right to freedom of religion and then come to the Supreme Court for protection under Article 32? Do you not know the consequences of what you said?” the bench had asked Udhayanidhi Stalin’s counsel.
The case stems from an incident on 2nd September 2023 when Udhayanidhi Stalin attended a conference in Chennai and compared ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to diseases like ‘dengue’ and ‘malaria,’ suggesting that it should be eradicated. This provocative speech received criticism, and Hindu believers from various parts of the country filed cases against Udhayanidhi Stalin for his anti-Hindu remarks.
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