Coimbatore: The rural police on Friday arrested three members of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and another three of Hindu Munnani for hate speech at Thudiyalur.
K Uruvi Balu of Saraswathi Street at Urumandampalayam, a Hindu Munnani functionary, had lodged a complaint against three SDPI members with Thudiyalur police on Thursday claiming that they insulted Hindu religion. During a demonstration on March 20, around 5pm, near the Thudiyalur traffic signal on Coimbatore-Mettupalayam Road, the SDPI men stated that VHP’s rath yatra will destroy the peaceful atmosphere in Tamil Nadu, the complaint said.
Following the complaint, police registered a case against S Amir Abbas of Nehru Street at Thudiyalur, M Badhusha and W Sulaiman from Thudiyalur under Sections 153 (A) and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested them. Police remanded them in judicial custody on Friday.
Filing a counter case, Amir Abbas lodged a complaint with Thudiyalur police, which said that speeches against the Muslim religion were made during a demonstration conducted by Hindu Munnani at Thudiyalur on March 21. Based on his complaint, Thudiyalur police arrested Uruvai Balu, K Mathi of Thiruvalluvar Nagar at Veerapandi and S Govindan of Chinnavedampatti, and remanded them in judicial custody.
To condemn the arrest of the three Hindu Munnani functionaries, several Hindu Munnani members staged road-roko at various places in the district. More than 200 people were arrested. TNN
