Recently, a Madras High Court judge strongly criticised the police for their failure to take action against Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekar Babu. The two ministers had participated in the September 2, 2023 conference titled, “Eradication Of Sanathana Dharma”. 

The judge characterised this inaction as a “dereliction of duty.” This observation came in response to a petition filed by a Chennai resident, Mahesh Karthikeyan, who sought permission to hold a conference aimed at “eradicating Dravidian ideology” as a countermeasure to the controversial conference where Udhayanidhi made inflammatory remarks.

Justice G. Jayachandran’s observation underscored the police’s lack of action against individuals delivering speeches that aimed to “eradicate Sanathana Dharma.” He said, “This court is of the view that (a) person in power should realise the danger of a speech and behave responsibly and restrain themselves from propagating views which will divide people in the name of Ideology, caste, and religion… Instead, they may concentrate on eradicating intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health, corruption, untouchability, and other social evil.”

The judge emphasised the importance of responsible behavior by those in power and the avoidance of speech that could potentially create divisions along the lines of Ideology, caste, and religion. He suggested that such individuals should instead focus on addressing issues like substance abuse, corruption, and social evils.

The judge also noted that no person in the country has the right to propagate divisive ideas or conduct meetings to abolish any ideology. He emphasized the co-existence of multiple and different ideologies as an essential aspect of the country’s identity.

In his remarks, Justice Jayachandran stated, “No one can expect courts to aid them to propagate ideas to create ill-will among the public… If the request of the petitioner is acceded to, it will cause further disturbance to peace and tranquillity of the public.”

In September, Udhayanidhi sparked a major controversy with remarks suggesting that Sanathana Dharma should be eradicated like mosquito-borne diseases. While the comments sparked massive outrage among the public across the country, these comments also led to tensions between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the latter accusing Udhayanidhi and his party of being anti-Hindu. The BJP’s national leadership called for the resignation of Udhayanidhi and P.K. Sekar Babu, the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments. Multiple police cases were filed against Udhayanidhi nationwide due to his controversial comments.

In response, as reported by Hindustan Times, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Sports Minister, defended his comments on Sanathana Dharma and claimed that he had not said anything wrong. He cited the ideologies of prominent figures who have spoken out against Sanathana Dharma. Udhayanidhi reiterated his stance against the centuries-old problem.