Supreme Court orders halt on new cases against Udhayanidhi Stalin over 'Sanatan Dharma' remark

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a directive preventing any new legal cases from being filed against Tamil Nadu deputy CM and DMK leader Udaynidhi Stalin regarding his controversial "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" statement unless the court grants explicit permission. This protective measure comes in response to the multiple cases already registered across various states, including Maharashtra, Bihar and Jammu concerning his contentious remarks. Stalin's counsel AM Singhvi brought the top court's attention to the fresh FIRs, reminding the court about its earlier suggestion to get all the FIRs clubbed together for trial in Karnataka.Thereafter, the apex court served notices to individuals who filed complaints in new FIRs whilst prohibiting registration of additional FIRs. The bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar also ordered Udhayanidhi's protection from arrest in these new cases whilst maintaining his existing safeguards in previous FIRs. The court scheduled the subsequent hearing for April 28.The row started when the DMK leader, in a conference in September 2023, made controversial remarks about 'Sanatan Dharma', stating it opposes social justice and equality, calling for its "eradicated". He drew comparisons between 'Sanatan Dharma' and diseases such as coronavirus, malaria and dengue, whilst advocating for its destruction.