In a major relief to Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Supreme Court on Thursday (March 6) ordered that no new FIRs or complaints should be registered against him without its permission over his contentious remarks against Sanatan Dharma.
In its order, the Court directed, “List in April. Interim order to continue and shall apply to the new cases added as well. We direct no further FIR to be registered on the same cause.”
The bench comprising CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar heard Stalin’s plea to club criminal cases registered against him across multiple states. Earlier, the apex court extended the interim relief to Jr. Stalin in which it had exempted the DMK leader from physical presence before lower courts hearing proceedings against his vile remarks against Sanatan Dharma.
It is pertinent to note that an amended application was filed in the Supreme Court in Udhayanidhi Stalin Hate Speech case. It revealed that a new first information report (FIR) has been registered against Stalin in Bihar.
The legal troubles against Udhayanidhi Stalin pertains to his alleged Hate Speech that he gave in September 2023. While addressing a conference organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association in Chennai, he made derogatory remarks against Sanatan Dharma saying, “Just like dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or coronavirus need to be eradicated, we have to eradicate Sanatana.”
Later, when multiple FIRs were registered against Stalin, he approached the apex court for clubbing these FIRs registered against him in different parts of the country so that they may be dealt with as a single criminal case.
Initially, the apex court came down heavily on Stalin Jr. Back then, it had orally remarked that he had abused his rights under Articles 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) and 25 (freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) of the Constitution. Subsequently, in May 2024, SC issued notice to multiple state governments and complainants to seek their response on his plea.
Ironically, in a brazen display, Stalin didn’t apology rather he defended his alleged Hate Speech arguing that the remarks were made before a particular audience, i.e, followers of the same ideology. He had claimed that his speech must be viewed with the backdrop of the caste-based discrimination.
Major Highlights of today’s hearing
During the hearing, Stalin’s Counsel, Senior Advocate Dr. AM Singhvi dragged and vilified Nupur Sharma alleging that she had given far worse remarks but she “got away” without any consequences.
The Congress leader Singhvi said, “In Arnab Goswami, Nupur Sharma etc., FIRs were transferred in the first place. Nupur Sharma had worst utterances.”
It is important to note that BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma faced multiple death and rape threats, with frenzied Islamic mobs chanting illegal and unconstitutional slogans of “Sar Tan Se Juda”, baying for her blood on the streets. Since the time when alleged fact-checker and Alt News’ co-founder Mohd. Zubair dog whistle against her, she has been bereft of her public space, living constantly under the shadow of Islamist threat.
Whereas the accused being defended by the Congressi leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, i.e., Udhayanidhi Stalin got promoted to corridors of power with dynasty and his notorious remarks against Sanatan Dharma being the only claim to fame and ascension to the throne of state’s Deputy CM.
Nonetheless, Maharashtra state’s counsel – one of the state where the FIR has been filed against Stalin Jr., SG Tushar Mehta asserted, “It was a Sanatana Dharma eradication conference. He said something is not to be dealt with but eradicated like Corona.. What would happen if CM of an other State said that any other religion has to be eradicated, then? Merely because the community which was sought to be eradicated does not react violently, this cannot be said.”
However, the CJI Khanna refrained from commenting noting that it may impact the outcome of the trial. He said, “As an apex court, we will not comment. It will impact the trial.”
