The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that no further FIRs would be registered against Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin– son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin – without its permission on his “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remark in 2023.

Stalling the registration of any further FIRs and posting the matter for hearing on April 21, a bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar ordered, “Interim order to continue and shall apply to the new cases added as well. We direct no further FIR to be registered on the same cause.”

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By an interim order earlier, Stalin was exempted from physically appearing before lower courts conducting proceedings against his remarks against the “Sanatana Dharma”.

In the course of the hearing, referring to Stalin’s controversial comment, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Maharashtra government, called to imagine another state Chief Minister talking of “Islam eradication”. “What would happen if the Chief Minister of another state said that Islam has to be eradicated… Merely because a community which is sought to be eradicated does not react violently, this can’t be said,” Mehta said.

“As an apex court, we will not comment. It will impact the trial,” said CJI.

The top court was hearing Udhayanidhi Stalin’s plea seeking clubbing of multiple FIRs registered against him in several states over his remarks.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Stalin drew the attention of the court to the fresh FIRs and asked that all the FIRs should be clubbed together for trial in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.

Stalin sought relief from the top court to club all the FIRs, saying FIRs are registered in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, and Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin made remarks comparing ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to diseases like ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue’ while advocating for its elimination on grounds that it was rooted in the caste system and historical discrimination.

His remarks triggered a massive political controversy across the country. It led to several criminal complaints being filed against him.