Cannot Compare Yourself To Media: SC To Udhayanidhi Stalin As He Brings Up Arnab, Zubair's Cases

The Supreme Court on Monday said that Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin cannot claim that he is in the same position as media and news channels as the DMK leader drew upon rulings passed by the apex Court in cases concerning journalists like Republic TV anchor Arnab Goswami and Mohammed Zubair.

"After all, you have made the statements voluntarily. And the cases you cited - those were news media people who were working as per diktats of their bosses to get TRPs. You cannot compare yourself to the media," Bar and Bench quoted a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta as saying.

Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, P Wilson, and Chitale represented Stalin and requested an extension to submit a compilation containing additional FIRs/summons filed in Rajasthan, along with a note addressing the Supreme Court's authority to consolidate and transfer FIRs.

Singhvi pointed out the instance of BJP leader Nupur Sharma who too had multiple FIRs in different states before it was transferred to one state over her controversial comments on Prophet Muhammed.

The court also asked why Stalin had chosen to file a petition before the apex court under Article 32 (which pertains to remedies for enforcing fundamental rights) of the Constitution rather than invoking Section 406 (which concerns the power of the Supreme Court to transfer cases and appeals) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Before listing the matter for further hearing on May 6, the Court directed Stalin to file his plea under Section 406 of the CrPC.

Last September, Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered a controversy after comparing 'Sanatana Dharma' with Dengue and Malaria.

Addressing a gathering on Saturday, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, said, "There are some things which we have to eradicate and we can't merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, corona, all these are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this."

The minister was speaking at an event organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association on the theme of 'eradication of Sanatana'.

"I thank the organisers of this conference for giving me the opportunity to deliver a special address. You have kept the name of the conference as 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' rather than 'Anti-Sanatana Conference', I appreciate that," news agency ANI quoted Udhayanidhi as saying.

"A few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. We have to eradicate this, that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated," Udhayanidhi was quoted as saying.