Migrant labourers attack: Police book Annamalai for inciting violence

CHENNAI: A day after Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai held the ruling DMK party responsible for the ongoing stir over alleged attacks on migrant labourers in the state, the police have booked him on charges of inciting violence and promoting enmity between groups.

The Cyber Crime Division have booked the BJP state unit chief under sections of inciting violence and promoting enmity between groups among others.

CCB (Central Crime Branch) have registered a case under sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A(1)(a) (promoting enmity between different regional/language/caste groups) 505(1)(b)(intent to cause fear in public) and 505(1)(c) (Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement or report containing rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote unrest on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

As per officials, a case is also registered against the BJP Bihar Twitter account holder over the incident.

Annamalai yesterday released a statement on the migrant labourers' issue saying they are safe in Tamil Nadu but the Chief Minister Stalin led-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance party leaders are the reason for the hate against them.

He also opposed the spread of false news on the attack on the people from Bihar in the state, saying that Tamils don't support "separatism" and "vile hatred" against north Indians.

"It is disheartening to see fake news spread in social media about attacks on Migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. We, the Tamil people, believe in the concept of "The World is One" and do not endorse the separatism and vile hatred against our North Indian friends," Annamalai said in a series of tweets. Hitting out at the state government, he said, "DMK's MPs' vile comments on North Indians, DMK minister calling them Panipuri Wala, and their alliance partners demanding their exodus has triggered what we see today."

He further said that the people, the Government and the police, do not endorse the views of DMK and their alliance partners. Besides, Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu police have also booked four persons including a BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao and two journalists.

Prashant Umrao, an Editor with Dainik Bhaskar, a Patna-based journalist, owner of 'Tanvir Post' Twitter handle Mohammad Tanvir, and Shubam Shukla were booked at different police stations on the charges of spreading "false" news regarding attacks on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu.

A statewide panic was created among migrant workers, working in Tamil Nadu, after several purported videos, showing attacks on migrant workers, circulated on social media.

The panic was triggered after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, raised concerns and took note of the purported videos of "attacks".

The panic affected the industries in Tamil Nadu, which rely on migrant workers, badly as many workers stayed off work. Taking cognizance of the panic, Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police Sylendra Babu released a statement, saying that the video doing rounds of social media was "false" and "mischievous".

"Somebody in Bihar posted false and mischievous videos saying that migrant workers were attacked in Tamil Nadu. Two videos were posted. Both are false as these incidents happened at an earlier date in Tiruppur and Coimbatore.

One was a clash between two groups of migrant workers from Bihar while another was from a clash between two local residents in Coimbatore," the top cop said.

The DGP also said that the persons behind this rumour-driven panic will not be spared.

(With inputs from ANI)