Pa Ranjith slams case against his AD for reciting poem on manual scavenging

CHENNAI: Chennai Police have booked an assistant director with filmmaker Pa Ranjith based on a complaint alleging that the assistant director insulted Hindu Gods.

In response to the FIR, filmmaker Ranjith took to social media and expressed his condemnations for the police succumbing to pressure from fascist groups.

Abhiramapuram Police have registered a case against the assistant director, Vigneshwaran alias Viduthalai Sigappi, after a part of his speech was made viral in social media, asking for action to be taken against him.

In a statement through his Neelam Cultural Centre, filmmaker Pa Ranjith pointed out that the viral video was taken out of context.

The speech was made on April 30 as part of a literary event organised by Neelam Cultural centre.

Viduthalai Sigappi was giving a speech about manual scavenging deaths and to drive home the point about the system’s blind eye towards the deaths of the underprivileged while being engaged for manual scavenging, he had remarked whether the deaths would get notice if the Gods are put through a similar ordeal while reciting a poem, according to a statement from Neelam Cultural Centre.

The core idea of the poem was to highlight the ills of manual scavenging. Instead of that being given attention, unsavoury forces have given a religious colour to it and diverted the issue, the statement added.