NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his alleged "Sanatana Dharma" remarks, and observed that you are not a layman, you are a minister, and you should know the consequences of saying all these while hearing his plea seeking clubbing of FIRs registered against him in various states.
"You (Udhayanidhi Stalin) abused freedom of speech & religion," SC slams the DMK leader and son of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M K Stalin, for his alleged remarks.
The Apex Court's two-judge bench, headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna and also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, questioned Udhayanidhi as to why he has moved the top court under Article 32 of the Indian constitution, after abusing Article 19(1) (a) & 25 through his speech.
"You are not a layman. You are a minister. You should know the consequences," the Apex Court said.
Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had moved apex court seeking clubbing of multiple FIRs registered against him in several states -- Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar amd Karnataka -- over his alleged remarks.
Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior lawyer and former Solicitor General (SG) of India appearing for Udhayanidhi Stalin, pleaded that he is not justifying Stalin's comments at all. He said that he is facing many FIRs in six states and is only seeking to consolidate them.
After hearing this, the Top Court advised and suggested him to move the concerned high courts, Singhvi replied, "I have to move six high courts, I will constantly be tied up in this. This is persecution before the prosecution."
He also cited the orders passed by the Supreme Court in the cases of Amish Devgan, Arnab Goswami, Nupur Sharma and Mohammed Zubair allowing the consolidation of FIRs (First Information Report) in multiple states and stated that he is only seeking the very same relief. He also said that this very Supreme Court could pass this order in his favour.
The Supreme Court, howvever, did not pass any order and adjourned his plea for further hearing to March 15, Friday.
Udhayanidhi Stalin is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ruling DMK chief M K Stalin.
Speaking at a conference in September 2023, Udhayanidhi Stalin said that Sanatana dharma is against social justice and equality and should be "eradicated."