Chennai, Jan 11: In a recent development, the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dharmapuri, K Annamalai, finds himself in legal trouble as the local police have registered a case against him under three sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges include promoting religious enmity, provocation to public peace, and committing ill-will between classes of people in a place of worship.The case stems from an incident during Annamalai’s rally, En Mann En Makkal, outside St Lourdes Church in Bommidi near Paapireddipatty on Sunday. According to reports, Annamalai attempted to enter the church and garland the statue of Mary as part of his political rally. However, this move was met with objection from a group of Christian youth present at the scene.
The situation escalated as the youth raised slogans and expressed their disapproval of Annamalai’s entry into the church. In response, the BJP leader engaged in an altercation with them, questioning the ownership of the church and provocatively asking how they would react if he brought 10,000 people for a protest.
The local police have taken cognizance of the incident, registering a case against Annamalai under sections of the IPC that deal with offenses related to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. Additionally, the charges include actions that could disturb public peace and harmony.