Raja took part in a Ganesh Chaturthi procession, and was caught on video arguing with police officials who laid down certain restrictions during the procession. “When the police officials, asked those participating in the procession to avoid crossing a sensitive area, the BJP leader lost his cool and started using abrasive language,” NDTV reported, adding that Raja said,  “Police have become too corrupt now, you all are taking bribes. You (Police) are anti-Hindu. If you torture a Hindu, you cannot be called one. Don’t be their enemy.” He went on to say, “You are not allowing people to celebrate Pournami, I don’t care about High Court or anything,” adding, “Are you all not ashamed of wearing police uniform? The entire state police has become corrupt. How can I stand on the ground and speak? I need a stage to speak.”

According to the Times of India, the police’s Inspector Manoharan said that he had denied permission for the construction of a stage as they had wanted to put it up on disputed property. “Majority of the villagers belong to a particular religion. They opposed the move to erect a permanent stage in front of the temple. The issue is in the high court,” he said. The Times of India reported that, earlier, “another section of the villagers moved the court seeking its permission to take out a Vinayagar procession in the village.” The court granted permission and said that the police would decide on the procession route. “We allowed Raja and his supporters to take out the Vinayagar procession through another route to avoid a place of worship of the other people. But they removed the barricades and took out the procession,” a police official told the Times of India.

The Times of India noted that the procession was held when Pudukkottai Superintendent of Police S. Selvaraj and other police officials were present. When the Times of India asked why action had not been taken against him, Selvaraj said that Raja had been asked to abide by the high court’s order but had refused to do so.

The video of Raja’s remarks went viral on social media. However, according to the Deccan Herald, Raja claimed, “The voice in the video being circulated is not mine. The voice has been doctored. The video that is doing the rounds has been edited”.

An FIR has been registered against Raja and seven other people, as per The Hindu, which said that they have been booked under Indian Penal Code “sections 143 (unlawful assembly); 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant); 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony); 290 (public nuisance); 294(b) (uttering obscene words in public place); 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty); and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation).” The other accused include officials belonging to the BJP and the Hindu Munnani.

The Hindu reported that Tamil Nadu fisheries minister D. Jayakumar said that the state government was consulting legal experts and mulling action against Raja for insulting the police. “As for his comments on the court, we hope the judiciary will initiate suo motu proceedings against him,” Jayakumar said. Moreover, R. Sudha, vice president of the Madras High Court Advocates Association and national executive member of the All India Mahila Congress sent a complaint to the DGP and others seeking action against Raja. According to the Hindu she said that Raja had not just prevented public servants from carrying out their duties, “but as malignantly and wantonly entered into a provocative dialogue with the police officer with an intent to cause rioting and promote enmity between different groups on the ground of religion.”

Raja is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this year, he posted about Periyar statues being taken down after a statue of Vladimir Lenin was pulled down in Tripura. However, in a subsequent post, he expressed regret and said his “admin had uploaded the post” without his knowledge. Raja has also called DMK MP Kanimozhi the “illegitimate child” of the late DMK president Karunanidhi.

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T. Velmurugan
 
Tamil Nadu: Several political leaders and frontline activists of people’s movements and political parties are being arrested, incarcerated and persecuted in Tamil Nadu by the state police. It is widely suspected that the central government in Delhi is guiding the Tamil Nadu government and police in these operations.

On May 25, 2018, T. Velmurugan, the founding president of the Tamizhaka Vaazhvurimai Katchi (Tamil Nadu’s ‘Right to Life’ Party), was arrested at the Thoothukudi airport on his way to meet and console the families of the massacre victims in the anti-Sterlite protest. All different leaders had been visiting the city on a regular basis to do just that and Velmurugan intended to do the same. After all, he has served as an MLA twice in the past and is a known figure in Tamil politics.
 
“On May 26, Velmurugan visited the violence-hit Thoothukudi district. He was arrested by the Neyveli police at Thoothukudi airport and remanded to judicial custody at Puzhal prison. Velmurugan was vociferous against the Centre and state on issues like Cauvery water management and permanent job for localities in Neyveli Lignite Corporation. His outfit also took part in the anti-Sterlite protests,” reported Deccan Chronicle on May 31.
 
“The Neyveli Thermal Police have booked a case under Sections 124 A (whoever by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visual representation or otherwise brings or attempts to bring in contempt or hatred), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth) and 505 (II) (b) – with intent to cause or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public. A warrant has been issued,” reported The Hindu.
 
“Mr. Velmurugan is presently undergoing treatment at the Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai where he was admitted for health complications developed during his recent imprisonment at the Puzhal Central Prison,” the report added.

He and nine others were kept overnight in a dilapidated hall without food, water or toilet facilities. The hall was locked on the front and at the back and no one (including lawyers, doctors, journalists or friends) was allowed to see Velmurugan and the other detainees. The police were lathi charging those who approached the hall. The arrested were taken to the Chennai central prison in northern Tamil Nadu without even a chance to take a break or to urinate on the way. All this amounts to gross human rights violations.
 
Various political parties such as the MDMK, the DMK, the VCK, the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, the TNCC, the CPI and the CPM came together to protest against the arrest of Tamilaga Valvurimai Katchi leader T. Velmurugan before the Chennai Collectorate on Tuesday.

Earlier, two youngsters Idumbavanam Karthi and Kadal Deepan, both Naam Tamizhar Katchi (We Tamils Party) workers, were arrested under various charges and incarcerated in the central prison in Chennai. Similarly, Viennarasu, the state coordinator of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi (We Tamils Party,) was also arrested under a false charge that he had instigated arson in the May 22nd Thoothukudi protest and imprisoned.

K. M. Shariff, the president of Tamizhaga Makkal Jananaayaka Katchi (Tamil People’s Democratic Party) was arrested along with his friends on June 5 when he tried to blockade actor Rajnikanth’s house in Chennai. Usually, the police would arrest such protestors and let them go in the evening but this time they remanded Shariff and his comrades and sent them to prison.

Two other leading activists, Thirumurugan Gandhi of May 17 Movement and Dyson of Tamizhaga Vidiyal Katchi (Tamil Nadu Dawn Party), had been arrested a few months back under the goondas act and they came out on bail.

There are rumours now that the state police have prepared a list of several movement leaders, political personalities and frontline activists to be detained over the next few weeks and months. The people’s right to assemble, right to oppose a dangerous project that spoils the local land, water, air and the health of the people and their right to protest peacefully are all being systematically violated by the authorities.

In the light of the above situation, the Pachai Tamizhagam Katchi demanded that all of the above leaders and workers be released immediately and unconditionally. All the false and concocted charges against them must be dropped. The fundamental human rights and entitlements of the people of Tamil Nadu must be respected and protected.

Written and forwarded in most part by SP Udaykumar, Pachai Tamizhagam Katchi (Green Tamil Nadu Party.)

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