Supreme Court Says It Is Not Inclined To Club FIRs Against Udhayanidhi Stalin For Anti-Sanatan Dharma Remarks

The Supreme Court today remarked that it is not inclined to allow the plea of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for clubbing of FIRs over his controversial remarks on Sanatana Dharma.

On the request of Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Stalin, the matter was adjourned to 2026.

Stalin had made remarks advocating for the complete eradication of Sanatana Dharma, drawing parallels with efforts to eradicate diseases like dengue, malaria, and COVID.

The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta heard the matter and made oral observations in that regard.

At the outset, Rohatgi submitted that the matter was with regard to several FIRs and complaints filed against Stalin.

Upon which, Justice Nath remarked, "Mr. Rohatgi, you know the Court will not do that...you want to argue somewhere else after 2027, you may argue." Justice Nath will retire on September 23, 2027.

Rohatgi tried to submit that the Supreme Court has passed similar orders in the past, to which Justice Nath said, "This court has done many things in the past. It does not mean that we should also do the same thing."

Thereafter, Rohatgi requested the Bench to post the matter in 2026.

Accordingly, the Bench allowed the case to be listed in 2026.

Background

Earlier, on March 6, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a directive preventing the registration of any further criminal cases against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his controversial remarks on Sanatana Dharma without prior permission from the Court.

Pertinently, in March 2024, the Supreme Court had come down heavily on Udhayanidhi Stalin, a State Minister and the son of Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, for his statements advocating for the complete eradication of Sanatana Dharma, drawing parallels with efforts to eradicate diseases like Dengue, Malaria, and COVID.

Earlier, an interlocutory application was filed before the Supreme Court seeking registration of an FIR against Stalin and Member of Parliament from DMK and former Union Minister A. Raja who had made similar remarks as Stalin. An FIR has been registered in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, against Udhayanidhi Stalin and Priyank Kharge, the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for their alleged hate speech against Sanatan Dharma.

Prior to that, a letter was addressed to Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud by a group of concerned individuals, including the retired Judges of several High Courts and bureaucrats, seeking judicial intervention of the Apex Court in the matter of hate speech made by Udhayanidhi Stalin. Various others across the country have approached authorities seeking FIR against Stalin.

Cause Title: Udhayanidhi Stalin v. The State Of Maharashtra And Ors. [W.P. (Crl.) No. 104/2024; Diary No. 8398/2024]