Srirangam temple activist Rangarajan Narasimhan was arrested on Sunday by the Chennai Cyber Crime Police over a controversial social media post allegedly targeting Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Sriperumbudur Embar Jeeyar.
The arrest came after the Sriperumbudur Jeeyar lodged a formal complaint on Saturday, 14 December 2024, accusing temple activist Narasimhan of making derogatory remarks linking the Deputy Chief Minister Stalin to the Jeeyar in a post involving recent meetings with religious leaders.
A police team travelled to Srirangam to detain Narasimhan and transported him to Chennai for further interrogation. Authorities confirmed he would be presented in court following the investigation.
Narasimhan is known for his frequent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filings related to the management of Tamil Nadu temples. He has previously faced legal scrutiny, including being ordered by the High Court to issue an apology over a separate social media controversy involving an industrialist.
As he was arrested, Narasimhan posted on his X account, “Police @tnpoliceoffl today canlme to my house like a thrift l thief jumping the fence and is arresting me now without any info. I am on the way to the police station. Sriperumbudur jeeyar seems to have complained. I may be taken to Chennai now but they police days they are taking me to Srirangam. எப்பொழுதும் எதிராசன் வடிவழகு என் இதயத்துளதால் இல்லை எனக்கெதிர்! இல்லை எனக்கெதிர்! இல்லை எனக்கெதிரே!!!”
Police @tnpoliceoffl today canlme to my house like a thrift l thief jumping the fence and is arresting me now without any info. I am on the way to the police station.
Sriperumbudur jeeyar seems to have complained.
I may be taken to Chennai now but they police days they are…
— Rangarajan Narasimhan (@OurTemples) December 15, 2024
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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