NEW DELHI: A lawyer based in Delhi has submitted an application to the Supreme Court, urging the initiation of First Information Reports (FIRs) against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and DMK leader A Raja. The request also calls for contempt of court action against the Delhi and Chennai police for not proactively registering FIRs for hate speech, as directed by the Supreme Court previously.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and a prominent figure in the DMK, recently made inflammatory remarks equating 'Sanatan Dharma' with diseases like leprosy and HIV.
On April 28 of the same year, the Supreme Court had issued a directive to all states and Union Territories, instructing them to file cases against individuals who engage in hate speech, regardless of whether a formal complaint had been made.
The petitioner, Advocate Vineet Jindal, has requested that the police be instructed to register FIRs against both DMK leaders, asserting that their statements promoted hostility between different religious and racial groups, which constitutes an offense punishable under the Indian Penal Code.
Jindal has also sought his inclusion in an ongoing petition that seeks the Supreme Court's intervention in curbing hate speech.
In his application, Jindal stated, "It is respectfully submitted that the applicant, being a Hindu and follower of Sanatan Dharma, has had his religious sentiments deeply wounded by the statements made by Udhayanidhi Stalin, who called for the eradication of Sanatan Dharma and further compared it to mosquitoes, dengue, corona, and malaria."
Raja, a former union minister, came to Udhayanidhi's defense, characterizing his remarks as "mild and soft." He went on to draw an even more controversial analogy, likening 'Sanatan Dharma,' a term often used to describe Hinduism, to socially stigmatized diseases like HIV and leprosy.
Previously, over 260 distinguished individuals, including former judges and civil servants, had written a letter to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. They urged him to take notice of Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks calling for the eradication of "Sanatan Dharma." In the letter, the signatories, which included former Delhi High Court judge S N Dhingra, pointed out that not only had Stalin made a hate speech, but he also declined to apologize for his comments.
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