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BJP leader held for threatening DMK MP: Police
While being taken to custody, Uthamaramasamy told reporters that how he was wrong when the DMK didn’t show spine to condemn Raja “insulted Hindus”.
BJP Coimbatore district unit president Balaji Uthamaramasamy was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly threatening DMK MP A Raja at a protest organised by the Hindu Munnani on Tuesday, police said. He was remanded to 15 days to judicial custody, they said.
“It’s not like the old times. There will be consequences,” Uthamaramasamy can be heard saying in a video filmed during the protest .
While being taken to custody, Uthamaramasamy told reporters that how he was wrong when the DMK didn’t show spine to condemn Raja “insulted Hindus”.
Uthamaramasamy categorically said he will not take back his opinion. BJP state president K Annamalai defended Uthamaramasamy calling the DMK an “authoritarian regime”.
Uthamaramasamy’s arrest based on a complaint by Dravida Kazhagam (the parent body of Dravidian parties) has triggered protests in Coimbatore. BJP cadre raised slogans against police and ruling DMK in front of the police station. The controversy started after Raja spoke earlier this month during an event about Hindus, shudras and prostitutes. A 40-second video clip from Raja’s speech has been going viral.
Raja has been facing the ire of BJP leaders for allgedly insulting Hindus and Hinduism.
BJP state vice president Karu Nagarajan has filed a police complaint, saying Raja’s remarks could lead to riots in Tamil Nadu.
Raja had refused to back down. He took to Twitter to say, “Who are Sudras? Are they not Hindus? Why they have been insulted in Manusmriti denied equality, education, employment and Temple entry.”
On Wednesday, Uthamaramasamy told reporters: “They (DMK) don’t have the courage to condemn their MP who has insulted a religion. The state government has to prove what was wrong in what I said. I will not back down from what I said even for 1%. What I said is the truth. He insulted our women. We will face this legally.”
