'You Are Not Layman, You Are A Minister': SC Tells Udhayanidhi Stalin Over 'Sanatana Dharma' Row

Supreme Court on Monday questioned Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks about 'Sanatana Dharma'.

"You are not a layman. You are a minister. You should know the consequences," a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar told Stalin's lawyer. The Tamil Nadu minister moved apex court seeking the clubbing of multiple FIRs registered against him in several states over his remarks.

As per a report in Live Law, Justice Datta told Stalin's counsel Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi: "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?"

Singhvi clarified that he is not endorsing Stalin's remarks in any way and highlighted that he is currently dealing with FIRs in six states and is simply seeking to consolidate them.

The senior advocate said, "I have to move six high courts, I'll constantly be tied up in this...This is persecution before the prosecution."

Singhvi referenced SC orders in cases involving Amish Devgan, Arnab Goswami, Nupur Sharma, and Mohammed Zubair, which permitted the consolidation of FIRs across multiple states, and said that he is seeking similar relief, the report added.

"I'm not saying one word on merits, I'm not justifying or criticising. Nor am I accepting or denying. Kindly let Your Lordships' view of the merits of the case not affect the plea for clubbing of the FIRs," Singhvi added.

The Supreme Court has adjourned his plea for hearing on March 15.

Last September, Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has triggered a controversy after comparing 'Sanatana Dharma' with Dengue and Malaria.

Addressing a gathering on Saturday, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, said, "There are some things which we have to eradicate and we can't merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, corona, all these are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this."

The minister was speaking at an event organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association on the theme of 'eradication of Sanatana'.

"I thank the organisers of this conference for giving me the opportunity to deliver a special address. You have kept the name of the conference as 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' rather than 'Anti-Sanatana Conference', I appreciate that," news agency ANI quoted Udhayanidhi as saying.

"A few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. We have to eradicate this, that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated," Udhayanidhi was quoted as saying.