Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief, K. Annamalai, expressed his approval of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court’s decision to dismiss the criminal case filed against BJP national office-bearer Amit Malviya. The High Court’s ruling on January 20 invalidated the FIR lodged by the Trichy City Crime Branch against Malviya concerning a social media post related to comments made by Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatan Dharma.
The case originated from a complaint filed by Advocate Dinakaran, the district organizer of the DMK Advocates’ Wing, who alleged that a post shared by Malviya on the social media platform X could incite communal disharmony and disrupt public peace. The controversy stemmed from a speech delivered by Udhayanidhi Stalin in 2023 at the ‘Sanatana Abolition Conference’ organized by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association.
Addressing the audience as a special guest, the Minister distinguished between ideas that should be opposed and those he believed should be eradicated. Udhayanidhi Stalin likened social evils to diseases like dengue, malaria, and coronavirus, emphasizing the need to eradicate them rather than just oppose them. He suggested that Sanatan should be eradicated, not merely opposed, citing the conference’s title as appropriate.
A video clip of this speech was shared by Amit Malviya on X, where he alleged that Udhayanidhi had equated Sanatan with deadly diseases and advocated for its eradication, accusing the Minister of calling for genocide against India’s population. Following the complaint, the Trichy City Crime Branch registered a case against Malviya under Sections 153 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code, related to promoting enmity and acts prejudicial to communal harmony.
Challenging the case registration, Amit Malviya sought the quashing of the proceedings at the Madurai Bench of the High Court. Justice Srimathi, after reviewing the arguments, granted the petition and ordered the termination of the criminal proceedings against Malviya, concluding the matter.
