In a significant ruling, a special court in Chennai convicted BJP Tamil Nadu Coordination Committee President H Raja in two defamation cases stemming from controversial remarks against DMK MP Kanimozhi and EVR made in 2018. The court sentenced Raja to six months imprisonment for each case and imposed fines of ₹2,000 and ₹3,000 respectively. However, in a key decision, the court suspended the sentence for one month, allowing Raja time to file an appeal in a higher court.

The cases were initiated after Raja’s remarks on social media, where he allegedly threatened to destroy the statue of Dravidian leader EV Ramasamy and made derogatory comments about DMK MP Kanimozhi. These statements sparked protests and led to complaints filed by representatives of the DMK and Congress at Erode Nagar and Karungalpalayam police stations.

Raja’s petition to quash the cases was dismissed by the Madras High Court, which directed the special court to expedite the trial. Special Court Judge G Jayavel found Raja guilty, ruling that the prosecution had proven that the contentious posts originated from Raja’s social media accounts. The court deemed the remarks inflammatory and defamatory rather than merely political.

The sentences were handed down separately for each case: six months imprisonment and a ₹2,000 fine in one case, and six months imprisonment and a ₹3,000 fine in the other. Raja’s legal team requested time to file an appeal, which the court granted, suspending the sentence for one month. Failure to appeal within this period will result in the sentence being enforced.

The incidents date back to 2018, when Raja allegedly referred to Kanimozhi as the “illegitimate child” of DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, sparking outrage and protests by DMK supporters. He also allegedly posted inflammatory remarks about Periyar, referencing the demolition of Lenin’s statue in Tripura as a precedent. Although Raja later claimed that a Facebook admin uploaded the EVM post without his consent, he faced widespread backlash.

Following the court’s decision, Raja maintained his innocence, describing the judgment as politically motivated. “I will file my appeal soon. This is a political vendetta. My fight for my ideology remains steadfast,” he told reporters.

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The post Special Court Suspends BJP Leader H Raja’s Sentence Pending Appeal In Remarks Against EVR And DMK MP Kanimozhi Case appeared first on The Commune.

In a surprising ruling, a special court in Chennai has convicted H Raja, the President of the BJP Tamil Nadu Coordination Committee, for his remarks regarding the EVR statue and DMK MP Kanimozhi. The court sentenced Raja to six months in prison and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 in each case.

The complaints against Raja stemmed from his 2018 Twitter post in which he allegedly threatened to destroy the EVR statue and made derogatory comments about Kanimozhi. These posts sparked widespread condemnation from political parties, including the DMK, Congress, and the Popular Front of India. Subsequently, complaints were filed at several police stations, including Erode Nagar Police and Karungalpalayam Police Station.

Raja had petitioned the Madras High Court to quash the case, arguing that the comments were political, and that evidence for his threats against the Periyar statue had not been properly collected. He further contended that a third party filed the case without his knowledge or consent. Despite these claims, the court directed the special court to complete the trial within three months, and after hearing arguments from both sides, Judge G. Jayavel delivered the verdict.

The court found that the police had sufficiently proven that Raja made the posts from his social media account, which led to the conviction. Raja’s statements were deemed inflammatory, with the court ruling that the remarks against the statue and Kanimozhi were not just political but also defamatory.

Raja’s legal team had maintained that the remarks were taken out of context and were meant as political commentary.

What H Raja Said In 2018

In 2018, the then BJP National Secretary Raja had allegedly made derogatory remarks about DMK MP Kanimozhi, calling her the “illegitimate child” of DMK President M Karunanidhi. This statement sparked protests from DMK supporters, with a large demonstration and effigy burning in Coimbatore. Kanimozhi responded, saying she wouldn’t “stoop low” to retort to Raja’s tweet but was awaiting a response from the BJP regarding his comments.

Raja had also faced backlash for his controversial Facebook post about Dravidian ideologue E.V. Ramasamy “Periyar,” in which he allegedly threatened to destroy Periyar’s statues, similar to the demolition of Lenin’s statue in Tripura. Raja later claimed the post was made by his Facebook admin without his consent and deleted it, expressing regret.

(With inputs from OneIndia Tamil)

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The post “Special Court” Sentences BJP Leader H Raja To Jail For Remarks Against EVR And Political Jabs At DMK MP Kanimozhi appeared first on The Commune.