Prominent Citizens Urge CJI to Address Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Eradicate Sanatan Dharma’ Remarks: A Call for Judicial Intervention
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A collective of 262 citizens, encompassing former high court judges, bureaucrats, and armed officers, has penned a letter to the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, urging him to take suo moto notice of Tamil Nadu sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s contentious remarks about
“Eradicating Sanatan Dharma.”
Stalin’s comments, made during a conference in Chennai organized by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association, have been labeled as “hate speech” by the signatories. They believe such remarks could potentially incite communal discord and sectarian violence. Stalin had stated,
“A few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can’t oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. We have to eradicate this, that’s how we have to eradicate Sanatan. Rather opposing Sanatan it should be eradicated.”
The letter, coordinated by former Delhi high court judge, Justice S N Dhingra, and ex-Union shipping secretary Gopal Krishna IAS, highlighted the anguish these comments have caused, especially among followers of Sanatan Dharma. The signatories include 14 judges, 130 bureaucrats (with 20 ambassadors), and 118 armed officers.
The group expressed their concerns, stating,
“These remarks undeniably amount to hate speech against a large population of India and strikes at the very core of the Constitution of India which envisages Bharat as a secular nation. Moreover, the rule of law was further undermined when the State Government of Tamil Nadu refused to take any action against Udhayanidhi Stalin and rather chose to justify his remark.”
Citing the Supreme Court’s judgments in the cases of Shaheen Abdulla v. Union of India and Ors. and Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India, the letter emphasized the court’s stance on the importance of religious harmony and the need for governments and police authorities to act against hate speech without waiting for formal complaints.
The signatories further wrote,
“Since the State Government has refused to take action and acted in contempt of the court’s orders and gravely undermined or rather made a mockery of the rule of law, we urge the Hon’ble Supreme Court to take the suo moto notice of contempt, ensuring accountability for the inaction of the State Government of Tamil Nadu, and take decisive steps to prevent the inducement of hate speech, preserving public order and peace and we request you to take immediate appropriate actions.”
The letter also highlighted Stalin’s refusal to apologize for his remarks. Instead, he justified his stance, stating,
“I will say this continuously,”
in reference to his assertion that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated. The signatories emphasized the urgency of action to maintain India’s secular fabric and warned that any administrative delay could result in contempt of court.
