On 1st April 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin cannot receive the same protection as the media regarding the case concerning his statement about "eradicating Sanatana Dharma." 

"You (Stalin) have made the statements voluntarily," a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta stated. 

The Supreme Court made this statement in response to a plea submitted by Stalin, in which he requested the consolidation of various criminal complaints lodged against him in different states for his contentious remark. 

Udhayanidhi Stalin has appealed to the Supreme Court for assistance in consolidating all the First Information Reports (FIRs), citing that they have been filed in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Maharashtra. 

In 2023, Stalin sparked controversy with his statement: "Similar to dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or coronavirus, Sanatana needs to be eradicated." During the proceedings, Stalin referenced Supreme Court rulings in cases involving journalists like Arnab Goswami of Republic TV, Mohammed Zubair, Amish Devgan, and Nupur Sharma. 

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta stated that Stalin cannot assert the same status as media professionals and journalists. The court was quoted by Bar and Bench as saying, "Ultimately, you made the statements voluntarily. The cases you referenced involved individuals in the news media who were acting according to directives from their superiors to boost TRPs. You cannot equate yourself with the media." 

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Stalin, brought up the case of BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who faced multiple FIRs in various states that were eventually consolidated into one state. Singhvi stated to the bench, "Nupur Sharma is a pure politician." 

In response, the Supreme Court questioned why Stalin opted to file a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution (which pertains to remedies for the enforcement of fundamental rights) instead of invoking Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which deals with the power of the Supreme Court to transfer cases and appeals. 

The Supreme Court directed Stalin to revise his petition and submit it under Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The court scheduled the hearing for the week beginning on May 6th. 

Image Source: The Hindu Business Line