south

Updated: Oct 07, 2019 01:03 IST

Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district police on Sunday arrested a Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) worker for his alleged offensive Facebook posts on Navaratri celebrations and Hindu goddess Saraswathi and lord Brahma.

Kaliyakkavilai police station officials in Kanyakumari district arrested Padanthalumoodu village resident, 35-year-old S Jayan, on a complaint filed by BJP’s Kanyakumari district advocates’ wing secretary R Savarkar on Saturday.

“Ahead of Saraswati Pooja and Navaratri festival, Jayan had posted a few photos and writings on his Facebook post on Friday. These posts portray Hinduism in poor light,” Savarkar said in his complaint.

He further claimed Jayan’s attitude of hatred towards Hinduism would create unrest in society.

“It is necessary to take action against Jayan for mocking Hindu Gods,” the BJP worker said in his complaint.

Besides him, SC Saju, General Secretary, BJP, Kanyakumari district also filed a separate complaint alleging Jayan was spreading fake information that Manikandan, an accused in Trichy Lalithaa Jewellery heist is a BJP member.

“Jayan, in his Facebook page had released a morphed photo in which Manikandan was seen presenting a Silk Shawl to BJP National Secretary H Raja. He also stated that Manikandan is a BJP functionary of Thiruvarur. It is completely false information aimed to show the BJP in poor light. Therefore, he should be arrested for these false claims,” Saju said in his complaint.

“We produced Jayan before a local court that remanded him to 15 days police custody to aid further investigation,” P Swarnalatha, Inspector, Kaliyakkavilai Police Station told HT.

However, CPI (M)’s Tamil Nadu unit called this as an act of political vendetta and alleged that police action against people posting offensive material was selective.

“It has become a routine to book and arrest people who are critical about the government or the ruling party. Even bureaucrats, intellectuals are facing cases when they are differing from the government,” said K Kanagaraj, CPI(M)’s state executive committee member.