Coimbatore: A day after the tense moments in Mettupalayam, the rural police on Monday registered a case against 10 BJP and other Hindu outfit functionaries for promoting enmity between religious groups.
Police had arrested BJP executive committee member R Kalyanaraman, 54, and BJP functionary D Sathishkumar, 49, on Sunday night. They were remanded in judicial custody on Monday and lodged in the Avinashi sub-jail. Police are on the lookout for eight more people.
“We held talks with BJP functionaries and Jamaath office-bearers, who have promised to maintain communal harmony. As many as 500 cops are deployed in Mettupalayam. The situation is under control,” said police superintendent Ara Arularasu.
BJP had organised a demonstration near Abhirami Theatre in Mettupalayam on Sunday evening to condemn the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest held at the Mettupalayam bus stand on January 26. Kalyanaraman, who addressed the party cadres, used derogatory words against Prophet Muhammad, a police officer said. “A J Mohammad Sherif, president of Ikkiya Jamath and Islamic Federation, lodged a complaint on Sunday, which said that Kalyanaraman made a provocative speech. SDPI cadres Yasin, 27, Thippu Sultan, 40 and Ibrahim, 40, advised the event organisers to stop the demonstration. But BJP functionaries attacked the trio using stones, knives and wooden logs. Yasin suffered injuries on his forehead and abdomen, Thippu Sultan suffered injuries on his head and Ibrahim suffered injuries on his right leg. Based on the complaint, we registered a case against 10 BJP and other Hindu outfit functionaries,” he said.
Police have booked the BJP functionaries under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153 (B) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Indian Union Muslim League national president K M Kader Mohideen urged the state government to take action against Kalyanaraman. “BJP is attempting to create problems ahead of the assembly election. Such activities should be stopped immediately,” he said.
BJP state vice-president K Annamalai tweeted that the party respects others’ religious beliefs. “We condemn those who denigrate Prophet Muhammad.”
BJP leader H Raja condemned police for arresting Kalyanaraman. “Police didn’t arrest lyricist Vairamuthu, who used defamatory words against Andal,” he tweeted.