Kanal Kannan arrested for disparaging remarks against Periyar

CHENNAI: The Cyber Crime wing of Chennai police on Monday arrested Kollywood stunt choreographer and Tamil Nadu president of Hindu Munnani’s art and culture wing, Kanal Kannan in Puducherry. City police had booked him under Sections of IPC for his provocative speech at a gathering in the city.

His disparaging remarks against Periyar went viral after which complaints with Chennai police, contending that his speech could cause ‘social unrest.

Chennai police’s Cyber crime wing arrested Kollywood stunt choreographer and Tamil Nadu President of Hindu Munnani’s art and culture wing, Kanal Kannan at Puducherry on Monday. His video of controversial remarks against Periyar statue outside Srirangam temple, went viral @dt_next pic.twitter.com/qfInkAiQLt

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In his speech, he had called for vandalising periyar statue outside Srirangam temple. After ten days in hiding, Kannan who had also acted in several films, was arrested from his hideout in Puducherry. He was brought to Chennai and produced before a city court. The stuntman has been sent to judicial remand upto August 26.

Last week, the cyber crime wing had arrested a 49-year-old man, SJ Gopal alias Sivanadiyar Gopal for posting inflammatory messages targeting another religion/community in his Twitter account. He refers to himself as Birungimalai Srilasri Swamigal and was arrested in 2020 and detained under the Goondas Act for posting messages in social media affecting communal harmony.