Chennai: The Madras High Court has termed as ‘utterly mischievous’ and dismissed a PIL petition seeking to restrain Chief Minister M K Stalin from chairing an Advisory Committee of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department without taking a pledge that he professes Hindu faith as it is required to be undertaken by HR&CE employees.
Dismissing the PIL filed by an advocate at the admission stage itself, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu refused to entertain the petition terming it as ‘utterly mischievous.’
They also said that the case was in ‘extremely bad taste’ and that a prejudice is involved in the prayer sought by the litigant.
The Judges also ordered that the petitioner, S Sridhar, would not be entitled to file any PIL petition in the High Court for the next five years without obtaining the express permission
of the Bench concerned.
The judges observed that there must be a time when prejudice and vendetta had to be shed when it comes to practising a religion.
“This is a secular country. Even the Constitution permits oath of office to be taken either in the name of God or Constitution,” they pointed out.
The First Bench also observed that no religion preaches narrow mindedness or to hurt others. The sentiments expressed by the litigant could not be appreciated.