BJP state president K Annamalai. (File photo)
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai was booked on Sunday on charges of spreading false news and creating enmity among sections of people over his statements on Twitter regarding the issue with migrant workers. The administrators of the official Twitter account of the Bihar BJP have also been booked.
As per police sources, cybercrime wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) Chennai has registered the case against Annamalai under Sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A(1)(a) (promoting enmity), 505(1)(b)(intent to cause fear in public) and 505(1)(c) (Circulating statement or report containing rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote unrest) of the IPC.
The case against the administrators of the Bihar BJP’s Twitter handle has been registered under Sections 153, 153A(1)(a), 505(1)(b) and 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity) of IPC. Annamalai had issued a signed statement that was posted on the official Twitter handle of the TN BJP in which he’d alleged that discrimination against migrant workers in the state began due to the DMK’s anti-Hindi agitation. He had named DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy, and a few other leaders and shared their alleged statements.
Annamalai challenges DMK government to arrest him
“The case against Annamalai was filed after a complaint was received by the cybercrime wing of the CCB. The case will be investigated after which further course of action will be decided,” a senior city police officer said. On learning he’d been booked, Annamalai on Twitter challenged the DMK government to arrest him and shared an old video clip of Chief Minister MK Stalin accusing the BJP of trying to increase its influence by bringing Hindi-speaking labourers into the state.
Meanwhile, DMK cadre and IT wing members on social media have been sharing screenshots of various posts made by BJP leaders from Bihar, including from the party’s official Bihar Twitter handle, a former minister, some MLAs and an MLC, sharing fake news of Bihar workers being tortured and murdered in TN. They accused the BJP of creating the fear and anxiety among migrant workers.
In a press statement, DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi came down heavily on the BJP, alleging the party had turned to spreading rumours aimed at sparking violence as it is unable to tolerate the industrial development in TN. He charged that the BJP’s Bihar Twitter handle had been spreading fake news to create a flutter among Bihar workers and pointed out that the party’s spokesperson in UP had been booked for spreading rumours against TN.
“If you want to continue to spread rumours and create a violent environment, you will have to face legal action,” he warned. Asked about the DMK’s charges, BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said he doesn’t know Hindi and cannot respond to tweets in Hindi. Meanwhile, to calm migrant workers, TN governor RN Ravi, in a tweet from the Raj Bhavan handle, urged them to stay calm and not panic. He told them to not feel insecure as the people in TN are “very nice and friendly and the state government is committed to providing them security.”
Videos shared with malafide intent: Bihar team
The fact-finding team deputed by the Bihar government to look into alleged attacks on migrant workers in TN on Sunday expressed satisfaction at the state government’s response. The team said the videos circulated online were found to have been spread on social media by “vested interests with malafide intent.”
