Spiritual speaker Maha Vishnu, who sparked controversy over ‘rebirth’ speech, arrested in Chennai
Maha Vishnu faced backlash after making comments on “rebirth and karma” at two government schools in Chennai on September 5.
The Tamil Nadu Police on Saturday evening arrested motivational and spiritual speaker Maha Vishnu amid a row over his ‘spiritual awakening classes’ at government schools in Chennai, PTI reported.
He was arrested at the airport on his arrival from abroad, according to the police. He was later produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody.
Maha Vishnu has been booked under sections of BNS and the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, based on a complaint against him, according to ANI.
Maha Vishnu faced backlash after making comments on “rebirth and karma” at two government schools in Chennai on September 5, on the occasion of Teachers Day.
During his talks, he allegedly blamed the children for their difficulties. He was also seen engaging in a heated exchange with a differently abled teacher, Shankar, who challenged his statements.
Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) held a demonstration against the 'Spiritual Awakening classes' organised by Maha Vishnu in government schools.
The DYFI and SFI cadres also questioned the Tamil Nadu Department of Education over the classes, seeking strict action over the incident as they protested before the Ashok Nagar Government Higher Secondary School.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin reacted to the criticism, saying that the textbooks in the state contain the best scientific ideas and that teachers are an instrumental part in bringing out the best ideas in the students.
"Our high-quality textbooks contain the best scientific ideas that students need to know. The teachers themselves can bring out the best ideas needed to face future challenges with confidence and sharpen the knowledge. Actions will be taken by the School Education Department to provide the necessary innovative training, social education with appropriate departmental experts and scholars." the chief minister said in a post on X.
State education minister Anbil Mahesh also ensured strict action against the people responsible for conducting the classes.
"Strong action will be taken. Following the action, such events will never happen in Tamil Nadu. I am also to meet the teacher who argued with Maha Vishnu," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed Maha Vishnu's arrest 'hasty' and said the action was expected. “That is 'Dravida Model'. Unnecessarily the govt has created a tiger out of a cat,” BJP Tamil Nadu vice president Narayanan Tirupathi wrote on X.
What Maha Vishnu said in his classes?
In his speech, Maha Vishnu blamed the British for “systematically destroying Gurukulams ”and claimed that by chanting certain mantras, one could cause a “rain of fire, cure ailments, and even fly”.
“All these were written as scriptures by our ancestors, but the British erased them,” Maha Vishnu purportedly said in a video that went viral.
“If God was kind, everyone should be born equal. One is born rich or poor, a criminal or a hero. Why such differences? You have been given in this life based on what you did in your previous birth,” he had said.
To this, a teacher present at the event objected and said that he was invited for a motivational talk and not a spiritual discourse on school premises. This led to an argument with Maha Vishnu, who accused him of having “ego issues”.