Justice G Jayachandran of the Madras High Court, while dismissing a case filed by Magesh Karthikeyan of Thiruverkadu in Chennai stating that conducting a conference against the Dravidian ideology was his fundamental right, remarked that the Tamil Nadu police had failed in its duty by not taking action against ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and P Sekar Babu for participating in a conference calling for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma and because of that the petitioner was seeking to conduct a meeting to counter Dravidian ideology.
According to a report by The Hindu, the judge said, “Since the police failed to act against those who had delivered inflammatory speeches to eradicate Sanatana Dharma, now permission to counter it by conducting a meeting to eradicate the Dravidian ideology is being sought by the present petitioner.
“No one can expect courts to aid them to propagate ideas to create ill-will among the public. Some members of the ruling party and Ministers participated in the meeting held for eradicating Sanatana Dharma and no action has been taken by the police against them, which is dereliction of duty on the part of the police.”
Further, stating the reason for dismissal of the petition, he wrote, “If the request of the petitioner is acceded to, it will cause further disturbance to peace and tranquillity of the public...”
“No person in this country can have a right to propagate divisive ideas and conduct a meeting to abolish or eradicate any ideology. The co-existence of multiple and different ideologies is the identity of this country. This court is of the view that a person in power should realise the danger of speech [causing] fissiparous tendency and behave responsibly and restrain themselves from propagating views which will divide people in the name of ideology, caste and religion. Instead, they may concentrate on eradicating intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health, corruption, untouchability, and other social evils.”
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