The cybercrime police in Chennai detained a retired air force officer for making contentious remarks on social media regarding the PottalPudur Moideen Andavar Dargah in Tenkasi district.
Srinivasa Subramanian shared a video on his social media platform that showed the inside of PottalPudur ‘Moideen Andavar Dargah’ with a caption in Tamil. Srinivasa Subramanian had just wondered ‘which deity could have resided here’.
The Pottalpudur Dargah stands out for its remarkable architecture, with intricate carvings and elegant calligraphy adorning its main entrance, with pillars and the temple architecture resembling a temple. The inner sanctum houses the tomb, covered by an intricate silver canopy. Visitors to the dargah receive sacred ashes, known as ‘Nerchai,’ made from ghee, tamarind bark, and flowers. Interestingly, this dargah wasn’t solely constructed by Muslims but allegedly also involved contributions from Hindus and Christians.
As per details provided on the Tamil Nadu state tourism website, the Pottalpudur Dargah “showcases the architectural splendor of Tamil Nadu, attracting art and architecture enthusiasts”. Attributing the history of the mosque to “legend”, the state website claims that Sufi saints, on their journey from Iran to India, settled in Pottalpudur village, spreading Islam among the locals adding that following the passing of the leading Sufi saint, a tomb was erected in 1674, becoming a focal point of worship in the mosque.
In a legal case concerning the management of the Pottalpudur Dargah trust in the Madras High Court, it’s noted that this dargah, dating back to 1674, is among the oldest, attracting devotees from various faiths, including Hindus and Christians, alongside Muslims.
Following a complaint by one Asan Mydeen, the Cyber Crime Police arrested Subramanian in Tenkasi and launched an ‘investigation’.
Tamilnadu arrests Ex Air Force Officer for சர்ச்சைக்குரிய (controversial) tweet. https://t.co/2hoPJbusBA
— Reality Check India (@realitycheckind) May 7, 2024
Going by the handle of Srinivasa Subramanian, he comes across as a BJP supporter with many tweets in supportive of the BJP and critical of the DMK in Tamil Nadu.
The leader of Hindu Makkal Katchi (IMK), Arjun Sampath, strongly condemned the fact-checking channel YouTurn, a favored outlet of the DMK. IMK accused Iyan Karthikeyan, a former YouTuber who has been appointed as the ‘Mission Director’ of the DMK government’s draconian Fact-Checking Unit, of deliberately targeting a former Air Force officer while ignoring similar accounts sharing the same posts. In response, IMK announced plans to stage a protest at the Tenkasi collector’s office, demanding an ASI survey of the structure.
Wasteland dubakoors @youturn_in who could not provide any historical evidence on who built this structure now used as a mosque, dog whistled him and DMK promptly arrested him.
IMK to protest in Tenkasi Collector office demanding ASI survey on the structure – Arjun Sampath. https://t.co/LQqHUEJuKI
— Indu Makkal Katchi (Offl) 🇮🇳Modi Ka Parivar (@Indumakalktchi) May 8, 2024
Many on social media pointed out how DMK government’s ‘Fact-Checking Unit’ headed by a former Dravidian Stock YouTuber, dog-whistles netizens critical of the DMK following which the state machinery is unleashed in an attempt to strike down dissenting voices on social media.
This latest arrest of a former IAF officer comes as yet another incident that highlights the concerning trend of Tamil Nadu Police prioritizing the prosecution of individuals expressing dissenting views online over addressing more serious crimes such as drug peddling, rape, and murder.
Below are the list of past actions of the DMK government, which involved stifling the expression of dissenting opinions, led to a crackdown on freedom of speech.
- 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.
- BJP IT Wing and Social Media State Secretary Trichy Pugal Machendran was arrested for an alleged provocative Facebook post celebrating the death of the terrorist Palani Baba on his death anniversary. The post referred to Palani Baba as a “poisonous influence.”
- 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.
- 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.
- YouTuber A Duraimurugan Pandiyan alias Sattai, was accused & arrested of making derogatory comments against Tamilnadu CM MK Stalin. The panel of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan overturned the decision to revoke Sattai’s bail, stating that there was no evidence to suggest he had abused the freedom granted to him.
- Minjur Saleem, a pro-BJP activist, was detained and arrested for criticizing the DMK’s governance on social media platform X. Despite promptly deleting his posts, Saleem was issued a Lookout Circular, detained upon arrival from San Francisco, USA, at Bengaluru International Airport.
- At the latest, Tamil Nadu Police target netizen who had shared the video of the news report about Gomathi’s death, TN Police warned the netizen of legal action for sharing “false news”. Despite the it was reported by many reputed that a woman named Gomathi was beaten to death allegedly by DMK goons in Pakkirimaniyam village, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.
- Recently, Tamil Nadu Police targeted a Netizen for sharing a post about Gomathi’s death, warning of legal action over allegedly “false news” regarding her demise, despite widespread reports of her alleged assault by DMK affiliates.
(With Inputs From SeithiPunal)
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