Chennai: The Madras High Court has observed that persons in power should realise the danger of remarks with "fissiparous tendency" and pulled up the police for their alleged failure to take action against some ruling DMK ministers who had participated in an anti-Sanatana Dharma meeting held here in September. Those in power should rather concentrate on eradicating drugs and other social evils, Justice G Jayachandran said.

The judge made the observations in a recent order while dismissing a petition filed by Magesh Karthikeyan, who sought a direction to the police to permit him to conduct a "Conference for eradicating Dravidian ideology and coordinating Tamils." The petition was filed in the wake of a "Sanatana Dharma Eradication Conference" held here in September, in which DMK leader and TN  Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin participated and made some purported remarks against Sanatana Dharma, which had created a huge controversy. State minister PK Sekar Babu also reportedly attended the meet.

Pulling up the police for their failure to take action against members of the ruling party and the ministers who had participated in the anti-Sanatana Dharma conclave, the judge said persons in power should realise the danger of speech with "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 evil," the judge noted.

The court said the petitioner in his representation had referred about the anti-Sanatana meeting held on September 2, 2023 at Kamarajar Arangam here, titled "Sanatana Ozhippu Maanaadu". Citing the same, he wants to conduct a meeting under the name of eradicating Dravidian ideology and coordinating Tamils. The Court had earlier not passed any order for consideration to conduct a meeting on the subject, he added.

The judge said no one can expect Courts to aid them to propagate ideas to create ill-will among the public. Some members of the ruling party (DMK) and Ministers participated in the meeting held for eradicating Sanatana Dharma and no action has been taken by the police against them which was dereliction of duty on the latter's part. Since police failed to act against those who had uttered inflammatory speech to eradicate Sanatana Dharma, now permission is being sought to counter it by conducting a meeting to eradicate Dravidian ideology.

"If the request of the petitioner is acceded (to), it will cause further disturbance to the peace and tranquility of the public, who are already fed up by the way some of the fringe groups in support of persons who have taken oath of office to preserve the Spirit of Constitution, act in breach of their oath. This Court cannot perpetrate by permitting the petitioner to hold a conference to eradicate Dravidian ideology," the judge added.

The judge further said that as far as the present petition was concerned, the Court finds the earlier order passed in a writ petition was regarding expressing views about Dravidian Ideology. Whereas, the present representation, taking umbrage in the earlier order seeks to counter the meeting held under the banner "Sanatana Ozhippu Maanaadu". The petitioner claims it was the fundamental right to conduct such meeting, the judge said. "This Court cannot subscribe to this view. No person in this country can have a right to propagate divisive ideas and conduct meetings to abolish or eradicate any ideology. Co-existence of multiple and different ideologies is the identity of this country", the judge added.

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