Chennai: The police, who have arrested orator Nellai Kannan for his hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, have booked him under multiple sections.
According to sources, he has been booked under 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505(1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility), and 505 (2) (statements which create or promote enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the IPC.
Meanwhile, cases have also been booked against BJP leaders H Raja, Pon Radhakrishnan and L Ganesan among others, for staging a demonstration here Wednesday seeking the arrest of Kannan.
BJP cadres, led by senior State party leaders, staged a protest demonstration here on Wednesday, demanding the arrest of the Tamil orator for his ‘provocative’ remarks against Modi and Amit Shah.
The protesters, including BJP National secretary H Raja, raised slogans against Nellai Kannan for his alleged remarks, and they were were detained by police.
The demonstration was held near Gandhi statue point on the Marina beach front and the protesters were taken away to a marriage hall at nearby Mylapore and detained there. Later, they were allowed to leave.
Police said they had not permitted anyone to stage a protest on or around Marina beach and hence it was a violation. Former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and other senior leaders, including L Ganesan and C P Radhakrishnan, took part.
Kannan landed in trouble after a video of his purported speech at a meeting against the Citizenship Amendment Act,held by the Social Democratic Party of India on Saturday at Tirunelveli, went viral on social media and the BJP lodged a police complaint seeking his arrest and prosecution. He is a Tamil litterateur and has taken part in several television shows based on literature and oratory.
State BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathi on Monday lodged a police complaint, alleging that ‘Kannan called out the names of Prime Minister and Home Minister at the meeting and told the gathering he was shocked as to why Muslims have not yet killed the Prime Minister and Home Minister…’