Earlier, another was attacked for consuming beef soup

S. Ezhilan alias Ramkumar, founder-president of an outfit called ‘Tamil Nadu Kudiarasu Katchi’, was arrested by the Thanjavur district police on Tuesday after he posted a message on his Facebook account claiming that a ‘beef eating festival’ would be held in Kumbakonam soon.

A native of Koranattukaruppu village near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Mr. Ezhilan, 33, invited ‘kaavis’ (a reference to saffron outfit members) for the ‘festival’ and said that they would be given the foremost place at the event where they could try out the dish.

However, Mr. Ezhilan had not mentioned the date of the event.

The police booked him under IPC Sections 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes).

His arrest comes a few days after a man in Nagapattinam district was attacked by a group of persons for posting a photograph of him consuming beef soup on his Facebook account, sparking widespread condemnation in the social media against the assault.

Mr. Ezhilan is said to have posted the message on July 13 and a FIR was registered against him on a complaint preferred by Surendran, the Village Administrative Officer of Kallapuliyur panchayat.

The police arrested Mr. Ezhilan in the early hours of Tuesday.