CHENNAI: Justice Anita Sumanth of Madras High Court has modified part of the order on the quo warranto petitions against ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin, PK Sekarbabu and DMK MP A Raja.
In the original order passed on March 6, 2024, she had mentioned the period of origin of caste system saying it is just a century old. It read: “However, the origins of the caste system as we know it today are less than a century old. The state of TN has 370 registered castes and the state is a cacophony of pulls and pressures by groups of persons claiming allegiance to one caste or the other.”
However, it has been modified as, “This court agrees unequivocally that there are inequities based on caste, present in society today and that they are to be eschewed. However, the categorisation of castes as we know them today, is a far more recent and modern phenomenon.”
Further, the figures of registered castes in Tamil Nadu are also modified. The modified version states, “The state of Tamil Nadu has 184 registered castes and the state is a cacophony of pulls and pressures by groups of persons claiming allegiance to one caste or the other.”
The order passed on the petitions filed by three office-bearers of Hindu Munnani seeking a quo warranto writ questioning Udhayanidhi and Raja as to how they are continuing in their public office after making comments of eradicating Sanatana Dharma and questioning Sekarbabu continuing as a wminister after attending the conference, in which, Udhayanidhi had made the comments.
