'Sanatan Dharma' row: Madras High Court dismisses petitions against Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK leaders

In a meeting held on September 2, 2023, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, had stated that Sanatan Dharma is against social justice and equality and should be 'eradicated'.

Chennai: In a major reprieve to the ruling DMK, the Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to issue a quo warranto against ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and P K Sekarbabu and Nilgiris MP A Raja in connection with their remarks against Sanatana Dharma and their participation in a conference that demanded its annihilation. 

Justice Anita Sumanth, whose order means that the two state ministers and the former Union Minister won’t be removed from their elected posts, said the petitions filed against the three lawmakers as multiple FIRs related to their comments are still being investigated by the police with no convictions till date. 

Though she refused a quo warranto against the lawmakers, Justice Sumanth held that the statements made by Udhayanidhi, a key minister in Chief Minister M K Stalin’s cabinet, on Sanatana Dharma were “perverse and divisive” and against the Constitutional mandate. 

“The statements equating Sanatana Dharma to HIV, AIDS, dengue and malaria, which need to be eradicated are perverse, divisive and contrary to Constitutional principles and ideas and tantamount to gross disinformation,” she wrote in the judgement. 

Justice Sumanth was hearing a case filed by T Manohar, J Kishore Kumar and V P Jayakumar, office bearers of Hindu Munnani, in their individual capacities pleading that Udhayanidhi, Sekarbabu, and Raja shouldn’t continue in their positions. 

While Udhayanidhi made controversial remarks against Sanatana Dharma at a conference on Annihilation of Sanatana Dharma on September 3, 2020, Sekarbabu participated in the event and the petition questioned their presence at the event. Raja made similar statements against the principles at another event. 

“While there may be ideological differences between persons holding power, the differences are expected to be based on a thorough understanding of the system being critiqued and importantly, such criticism must be constructive and not destructive,” justice Sumanth added.

Udhayanidhi had in September 2023 stoked a row by equating Sanatana Dharma with “Dengue, Malaria, and Corona” and calling for its “eradication” from the society. 

“The conference’s title is apt. I appreciate them for pushing for eradication of Sanatanam and not merely opposing it. For instance, mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, and Corona, we should eradicate these, and not just oppose them. Likewise, Sanatanam should also be eradicated from society. It is not enough if we merely oppose it,” Udhayanidhi had said at the event. 

The minister’s comments against Sanatana Dharma led to a major controversy with the BJP bringing the DMK and Congress in the line of fire. However, Udhayanidhi said he stood by his comments and that he won’t apologise.