Once again, there is a disconcerting incident involving the arrest of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member in Tamil Nadu, this time at 5 a.m., over an alleged provocative Facebook post. This time it was the BJP IT Wing & Social media State Secretary Trichy Pugal Machendran.
One of our IT wing state secretaries, Thiru @pugal_trichy has been picked up by the TN police at 5:45 am in the morning allegedly for an inflammatory Facebook post ! If that is the yardstick , most upees should be locked up in the cellular prison for life .
Sections invoked… pic.twitter.com/9tJD2Wmed3— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) January 29, 2024
Pugal Machendran shared a Facebook post on 28 January 2024 regarding the president of the All India Jihad Committee, Palani Baba, also known as Ahmed Ali on his death anniversary. Pugal’s statement allegedly celebrates the death of the president of the All India Jihad Committee Palani Baba, referred to as a “poisonous influence”.
“Today is the day when the poisonous plant called Palani Baba was rooted out. If he was here today, I can’t even imagine the terrorist incidents happening in Tamil Nadu… Today is the day he was killed… Our many thanks and salutations to “our golds” who weeded him out, wherever they are”, he wrote.
Ahmed Ali, also known as Palani Baba, emerged as a significant figure, founding the All India Jihad Committee in 1986. He gained prominence with the DMK’s backing during MGR’s rule, contributing to anti-Hindu sentiments and violence in the Coimbatore region. However, Ali’s association with Islamic fundamentalism eventually led to repercussions, causing the DMK to distance itself. His involvement in various killings, connections to international terror cells, and the formation of Al Ummah highlighted the spread of Islamic fundamentalism in Tamil Nadu.
Ali’s life came to a violent end in 1997, attributed to his inflammatory speeches against Hinduism and the murder of two Hindu activists. Despite the controversy surrounding the motive, Ali is now praised by separatist and minority-centric parties like NTK, VCK, and the DMK.
TN BJP State Vice President- Social Media cell, Karthik Gopinath, stated on his X handle that Pugal’s arrest was reportedly made under sections 153, 505A, and 505B.
The state has been cracking down on detractors of the government in the name of “inciting law and order issues” and has seemingly targeted the opposition parties particularly the BJP apart from parties such as AMMK. The crackdown was also seen against independent netizens who spoke in support of the BJP.
In 2023 alone the below instances of curbing freedom of speech occurred:
- TN BJP Functionary Pravin Raj was arrested in the wee hours of 1 October 2023 for his posts targeting the ruling party and the Congress.
- The Tamil Nadu police even went up to Noida to try to arrest journalist Abhijit Majumder for his article on Udhayanidhi Stalin’s eradicate Sanathana Dharma remarks.
- Critic of the DMK, Badri Seshadri, was arrested for his comments in an interview on a YouTube channel regarding the Manipur issue, during which he made remarks about the Chief Justice of India.
- The Commune and its directors faced legal action for reporting on the confrontation between Podu Deekshitars of the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple and HR&CE officials.
- Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary SG Suryah was taken into custody under non-bailable sections for his comments regarding Madurai CPI-M MP Su Venkatesan concerning a sanitation worker’s tragic death during drain cleaning in Pennadam town, Cuddalore district.
- An AIADMK IT wing member was apprehended under non-bailable sections for sharing a video meme that humorously referenced MK Stalin’s video statement on Senthilbalaji’s arrest. The meme did not contain derogatory content.
- A Pro-BJP Twitter user was arrested for sharing an old article and allegedly misattributing DMK to an illegal liquor-producing gang in Tiruppur, following the recent hooch tragedy in Marakkanam.
- A Pro-BJP Twitter user was arrested for sharing an old article and allegedly misattributing DMK to an illegal liquor-producing gang in Tiruppur, following the recent hooch tragedy in Marakkanam.
- Vice President of Tamil Nadu BJP’s Industrial Cell, Selva Kumar, was arrested for criticizing DMK Minister Senthilbalaji.
- The admin of Voice of Savukku Shankar X handle was arrested for a video meme targeting CM MK Stalin and DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan regarding the “eligible household” clause in the monthly assistance scheme for women.
- The DMK government traveled to Gujarat to arrest BJP cadre John Ravi, who had made satirical social media posts about CM MK Stalin and his late father, Karunanidhi.
- N Muthuramalingam, the State Propaganda Secretary of South India Forward Bloc, was arrested for expressing his views on Facebook regarding the release of terrorists convicted in the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts case. Muthuramalingam had criticized Dravidian parties for considering the release of 36 prisoners, including those convicted for life in the Coimbatore terror attack, leading to his arrest.
However, the DMK-led government has not taken any action against individuals who have engaged in the abuse of Hindu gods. There has been no response or measures implemented by the DMK-run administration regarding those responsible for such actions – it is ironic that the ones who indulge in these actions are either affiliated with the ruling party or are supporters of the same.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally