Min Sekarbabu seeks removal of remarks by Justice G Jayachandran in Sanatana Dharma row

CHENNAI: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) minister P K Sekarbabu moved the Madras High Court (MHC) seeking to remove the remarks of Justice G Jayachandran, made out against him and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin who also participated in a conference to eradicate Sanatana Dharma.

The petition filed by Sekar Babu stated that while dismissing a plea seeking to permit a conference to eradicate Dravidian ideology, Justice G Jayachandran made certain unnecessary observations without any justification, which are certainly not required for the disposal of the case.

The observation was made in a plea of Magesh Karthikeyan and the petition was dismissed on October 31.

While dismissing the petition the judge observed that "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. The person in power should realize the danger of speech unflaring fissiparous tendency and behave responsibly and restrain themselves from propagating views that will divide people in the name of Ideology, Caste, and Religion.

Sekar Babu stated that this observation is now misused against them by political opponents including BJP and placed before another court, which reserved the orders in a case seeking to initiate quo warranto against him, Udhayanidhi, and A Raja, Member of Parliament, for alleged speech against Sanatana Dharma.

The fundamental rights of the appellant to be heard before expressing any observation or remarks by the Court said the petition and sought to remove the observation from the order passed by Justice G Jayachandran.