Advocate Vineet Jindal has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court, seeking action against Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and DMK Deputy General Secretary Andimuthu Raja for their hate speeches against Sanatan Dharma.
The petitioner sought the direction to register FIRs against Stalin and A. Raja under Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Udhayanidhi Stalin, the DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister, who is also the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, caused significant outrage with his remarks calling for the eradication of “Sanatana Dharma.” He equated Sanatan Dharma with diseases like “mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, fever, and Corona,” asserting that it should be eliminated.
In response to the controversy, Udhayanidhi Stalin clarified on X (Previously Twitter) that he did not advocate for the genocide of Sanatan Dharma followers. He stated that Sanatan Dharma promotes division based on caste and religion, and uprooting it is a stance in favour of humanity and human equality.
On a related note, A. Raja made controversial comments during a protest meeting against the Central government’s Vishwakarma Yojana in Chennai. He remarked that Udhayanidhi’s views on ‘Sanatana Dharma’ were relatively mild. Raja drew a comparison between Sanatana Dharma and diseases like leprosy and HIV, suggesting they all carry social stigma.
