Chennai: A day after the arrest of Roman Catholic priest George Ponniah making controversial remarks against Hinduism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, DMK government and others, one more was arrested.
Arumanai Christian Association secretary Stephen was arrested on Sunday in connection with pastor George Ponniahās remarks case.
Arumanai police registered a case against Ponniah, Arumanai Christian Association secretary Stephen and others under sections 143, 153A, 269, 295A, 505(2), 506(1) of the IPC and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
As his disparaging remarks went viral on the social media, police booked the George Ponniah for spreading hate and enmity between religious groups.
As Ponniah, who had denied making any such remarks and tendered an apology if his
remarks had hurt anyone, went into hiding to evade arrest, five special teams, formed to nab him, traced him to a place called Kallikudi in Madurai, using his mobile phone signals and arrested him.
He had also made controversial and disparaging remarks about āBharat Mataā and
Hindu religion, which were condemned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kuzhithurai.
Addressing a meeting at Arumanai in protest against the closure of churches, the ban on conducting prayers in houses and the denial of permission for renovating or constructing churches on private āpattaā lands, he made disparaging remarks about Modi and Shah.
He also alleged that Nagercoil BJP MLA M R Gandhi was responsible for the 1982 Mandaikaadu communal riots.
He also claimed that the DMKās victory in the recent Assembly elections was the
‘alms given by the Christians and the Muslims’, triggering condemnation from State Minorities Commission Chairman Peter Alphonse.