Cauvery row: Singer Kovan arrested for song against PM Modi, rath yatra

TIRUCHY: High drama preceded the arrest of singer and activist Kovan (47), of Makkal Adhigaram, on Friday allegedly for his song against Ram Rajya Rath Yatra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was released by the court on conditional bail.

According to sources, a group of 15 persons in civilian dress arrived in a van and surrounded Kovan’s house at Aravanur in the morning. On seeing this, the villagers started questioning the 'strangers'. Kovan’s son Charuvagan said, “They tried to drag my father out of the house, but my parents locked the doors from inside and informed me immediately on phone.”

Charuvagan, who is a lawyer, rushed to the village along with lawyers and friends.“The persons, who were in the civilian dresses, did not introduce themselves as police and did not come by police vehicles. I am a lawyer, but I have not seen any of them in any Tiruchy police station. When everyone started questioning them, they got into the vehicle. The villagers attempted to block the vehicle by placing sofa and other items on the road but they managed to escape,” he narrated.

Soon after that, police officials in uniform arrived and arrested Kovan. Police said “He was arrested based on the complaint lodged by district president of BJP youth wing N Gowtham, at the Cantonment police station. Gowtham had said his religious sentiments was offended by the song sung by Kovan during the picketing of Head Post Office on March 24 for the Cauvery Management Board.”

The complainant also said that the song insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kovan and his team released a video titled ‘Enga Vanthu Nadathura Ratha Yatra’ (Where do you think you are conducting the Ratha Yatra?) during the Rama Rajya Rath Yathra held in the State. Kovan sang the song again during the picketing at the post office, which prompted the BJP functionary to lodged the complaint. The Cantonment police registered on April 11.

He was booked under section 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505(1)(b) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.

After the arrest, police did not take Kovan to Cantonment police station. Instead, they took him to KK Nagar police station, where the lawyers were not allowed to meet him. In the evening, he was produced before the judicial magistrate, who granted him conditional bail. Kovan has to appear and sign in the Cantonment police station for 15 days.

With this, Kovan has been arrested for the second time for a song. He was arrested in October 2015 for a song taking a dig at the TASMAC.