A total of 262 prominent individuals, comprising 14 judges, 130 bureaucrats, 20 ambassadors, and 118 Armed Forces officers, have collectively written a letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, urging him to take suo motu cognizance of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments regarding Sanatan Dharma. They argue that these remarks have the potential to incite communal discord and sectarian violence.
The letter highlights that Udhayanidhi Stalin, a current Minister in the Tamil Nadu State Government, made specific comments during a press conference in Chennai. He stated, “Few things cannot be opposed, they should be abolished. We can’t oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona, we have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate the Sanatana (Sanatan Dharma), rather than opposing it.”
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The letter also underlined that he intentionally remarked that Sanatana Dharma enslaved women and restricted them from leaving their homes. These comments have raised concerns among the individuals who penned the letter, suggesting that such remarks could potentially incite communal tension and sectarian conflicts.
The letter, signed by 262 prominent individuals, references a Supreme Court observation in “Shaheen Abdulla v. Union of India and Ors.” that highlights the importance of different religious communities living in harmony for the existence of fraternity. It also notes the Supreme Court’s concern over the increasing incidents of hate speeches and directs authorities to take suo motu action in such cases to preserve the secular character of the nation.
The letter expresses deep concern over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks, considering them hate speech against a significant portion of India’s population and a challenge to the nation’s secular character as envisioned in the Constitution. It criticizes the State Government of Tamil Nadu for refusing to take action against him and justifying his comments, which, it claims, goes against the Supreme Court’s directives to act on hate speech crimes proactively.
The letter concludes by urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of contempt regarding the State Government of Tamil Nadu’s inaction, stressing the need to prevent the propagation of hate speech, preserve public order and peace, and ensure accountability for the state’s non-compliance with court orders.