Chennai: The Madras High Court recently observed that no one in the country had a right to propagate divisive ideas and conduct meetings to eradicate any ideology, adding that the co-existence of multiple ideologies was the identity of the country while denying permission to conduct a meeting to eradicate “Dravidian Ideology”.
The court was hearing a plea by one Magesh Karthikeyan seeking permission to conduct an indoor meeting for eradicating “Dravidian ideologies" in Chennai, reports Bar and Bench.
The petitioner had relied upon an earlier order of the court allowing a man to conduct a meeting addressing views about Dravidian ideology and sought for similar permission to conduct the meeting reports Bar and Bench.
Justice G Jayachandran stated that the failure of the Tamil Nadu police to take any action against the Ministers and members of the ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), who had made inflammatory speeches at a conclave held earlier on the "eradication of Sanatana Dharma", was a clear case of “dereliction of duty.”
The Judge, while dismissing the petition, went on to say that those in positions of power must behave responsibly and refrain from doing anything that might divide people along the lines of ideology, caste and religion, reports Bar and Bench.
The court further suggested that such persons could concentrate on eradicating other social evils like intoxicating drinks, drugs etc.