Tamil orator booked over alleged provocative remarks against PM, HM

Flooded with a volley of complaints seeking action over his 'provocative' remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, police have booked a Tamil orator on charges, including instigating violence and rift between two communities.

As police reached his residence here on Tuesday to arrest Nellai Kannan, who was associated with the Congress, they were told he was "suffering from chest pain" following which they took him to a hospital in an ambulance, police said.

Kannan landed in trouble after a video of his purported speech at a meeting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) organised by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) here on Saturday went viral on social media and the BJP lodged a police complaint seeking his arrest and prosecution.

State BJP spokesperon Narayanan Thirupathi on Monday lodged a police complaint stating 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..."

Maintaining that such remarks were an "open threat to the lives" of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, an attempt to incite violence, criminal intimidation, and abetment to murder also, he said all these were punishable under the Indian Penal Code and sought action against Kannan.

Party General Secretary K S Narendran has separately petitioned the state Director General of Police seeking stringent action against the orator, alleging  his remarks went against national integrity and would trigger communal clash.

Besides abusing Modi and Shah, he had also allegedly made derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and others in his controversial speech.

Police said a case had been registered against Kannan under the IPC, including 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) and 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes).

They had also received a complaint from the ruling AIADMK against Kannan for allegedly defaming the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, police said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including district secretary Dayasankar, gave a memorandum and a complaint seeking action by police against Kannan.

The BJP district secretary charged that Kannan spoke against the sovereignty and integrity of the country and sought stern action.

A group of  BJP volunteers also separately gave a complaint to the Tirunelveli Commissioner of police.

According to the complaints, the orator allegedly told the gathering that "If his (Amit Shah) story is finished, then the story of the PM would also be over because he is the brain behind Modi. He was expecting some thing to happen. But No Muslim is doing."