Governor Ravi accords sanction to prosecute TN BJP chief Annamalai for remarks against Annadurai

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has accorded sanction for the prosecution of State BJP president K Annamalai for his remarks against former chief minister and late Dravidian icon CN Annadurai.

According to the government order issued by State Public Department Secretary K Nanthakumar on April 25, 2023, under Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Governor of Tamil Nadu has accorded sanction for the prosecution of K Annamalai for offences punishable under section 153-A, sub-section (2) of section 153-B, clauses (b) and (c) of sub-section (1) of section 505 and sub-section (3) of section 505 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, to be taken cognizance of by a Court of competent jurisdiction.

While addressing a September 11, 2024 protest against Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment minister PK Sekar Babu on his remarks against Sanatana Dharma, Annamalai alleged that CN Annadurai had made a critical remark against the Hindu faith at a programme in Madurai in 1956 which was staunchly opposed by late freedom fighter and Forward Bloc leader Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar.

Subsequently, V Piyush, a social activist from Salem, filed a petition before the District Collector of Salem, requesting the sanction of prosecution under section 196 of Criminal Procedure Code against Annamalai, for his hate speech.

"It is evident that the intention of Annamalai is to provoke the Hindu majority and promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion. This episode (Annamalai's speech) has been widely reported in several national publications, too," Salem Collector and District Magistrate said in a letter to the Public Department.

"Annamalai is with an intention to promote disharmony, feelings of enmity, hatred, and ill-will between different groups, and to cause fear or alarm to the public, and also to disturb the public tranquillity," the government order read.

Reacting to the order, Annamalai said that the DMK government could not stop him from exposing the reality.

"In the last three years, the draconian DMK government has filed plenty of cases against me and BJP workers for speaking the truth and has recently issued a sanction to prosecute me yet again. Issuing sanctions to prosecute for recalling an event in the past and awarding plum party positions to drug peddlers reflects the true nature of this DMK government in Tamil Nadu," Annamalai said in a social media post, alluding to the government order.

"I wholeheartedly thank the DMK government for allowing us to recall what Deivathirumaganar Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar said in 1956, which they wish to erase from people's memories. Our message to the DMK government is 'You can't stop us from exposing what is what. File as many cases as you want'," he challenged.

Under Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, no Court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under Chapter VI or under section 153A, 1 [section 295A or sub-section (1) of section 505] of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), or a criminal conspiracy to commit such offence, or any such abetment, as is described in section 108A of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), except with the previous sanction of the Central Government or of the State Government.