Saravanan Joseph, the head of the Christian Munnani, was apprehended on charges of sparking a dispute by proposing a change in the name of Chennimalai, a revered Tamil site, to ‘Yesumalai’.
In Kathakodikkad, part of the Murungathovu Panchayat within the Chennimalai Union of Erode District, a Christian ‘jebakootam’ (prayer meeting) gathering took place at the residence of one John Peter on 17 September 2023.
During this prayer meeting, tensions flared as Hindu Munnani insisted that such ‘jebakootams’ cannot be held in residential areas without required official permission.
This dispute escalated into a heated altercation, with both sides involved in physical confrontations. Subsequently, the Chennimalai police initiated legal proceedings against Hindu Munnani, following a complaint from the Christian group. As a result of this incident, two members of the Hindu Munnani were arrested and detained.
On 26 September 2023, the Christian Munnani organized a demonstration in Chennimalai. During the protest, Saravanan Joseph, of the Christian Munnani, issued a warning, suggesting the potential renaming of Chennimalai to Kalvari Malai or Jesus Malai, resulting in widespread surprise and concern.
The Hindu Munnani organised a massive protest at Chennimalai, vehemently denouncing the remarks made by Saravanan Joseph. Thousands of individuals participated in the demonstration, chanting fervently, ‘Chennimalai is our mountain.’
In this development, Saravanan Joseph, a Christian Munnani member, was apprehended by the police in Chengalpattu on Wednesday (18 October 2023).
A case was filed, invoking sections 505(1), 505(1)(C) (pertaining to the intention to incite any community to commit an offense against another community), 505(2) (related to offenses in places of worship), and 295 (regarding defiling places of worship with the intent to insult a religious group) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Subsequently, the individual was presented in court and remanded to prison.
It is notable that, on Vinayakar Chathurthi in September 2023, the Hindu Munnani organised a gathering in Puliyampatti, Erode district. At this event, accusations arose concerning derogatory remarks purportedly made by one of the organisation’s State Secretaries, Senthil Kumar, regarding the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its member, DMK MP A Raja. Subsequently, members of the DMK lodged an official police complaint. The police are trying to nab another person in connection with the case.
About a month following the Vinayakar Chathurthi festivities, Senthil Kumar was apprehended by the Puliyampatti police while he was traveling in a car in Ammapalayam, Tiruppur District.
Reacting to these incidents, the Hindu Munnani voiced their apprehensions, asserting that law enforcement was displaying disproportionate targeting and taking measures against Hindus, while overlooking individuals critical of the Hindu community. They additionally declared their intent to stage a protest against this bias.
While comparing the two arrests, Selvakumar, the vice president of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (TN BJP) Industrial cell tweeted, “The Dravidian model government, which arrests him under goondas and non-bailable sections for his social media post, has booked him under the simplest sections of the Indian Penal Code for causing a lot of mental distress to Hindus across Tamil Nadu.”
சென்னிமலையை பெயர் மாற்றுவோம் என்று சொன்ன இந்து மத விரோதியை உடனடியாக கைது செய்யாமல், கிறிஸ்துவ முன்னனியின் தூண்டுதலின் காரணமாக இந்து முன்னனியை சார்ந்த அண்ணன் VS செந்தில்குமார் @VSSenthilKuma12 அவர்களை கைது செய்த பிறகு சாவகாசமாக ஜோசப்பை கைது செய்துள்ளது, சனாதன தர்மத்தை (இந்து… pic.twitter.com/Leq3EQGUgS
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) October 18, 2023
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