Giving some relief court dismisses petition against Udhayanidhi Stalin over 'Sanatana' remarks
Days after the Supreme Court pulled him for his remarks on Sanatana Dharma, DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin Wednesday got some relief from the Madras High Court.
The court has dismissed a petition that challenged the continuation of Stalin and two other DMK leaders as legislators.
The high court observed that Stalin's remarks were "wrong", but noted that he had not been convicted by any court yet.
The 46-year-old DMK leader, who is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, had made the controversial remarks on Sanatana Dharma last September.
The remarks, in which he said "Sanatana is like malaria and dengue and must be eradicated", had sparked a massive row.
Besides Udhayanidhi Stalin, the petitioners had sought the removal of state minister PK Sekar Babu and DMK MP A Raja from the Assembly as Babu was present when Udhayanidhi made the remark and Raja had endorsed what he said.
Doubling down on his remarks, Stalin said he had targeted caste-based discrimination and not Hinduism. He has also said he is prepared to face legal action, but he stands by his remarks.