A Tamil orator was taken into custody late Wednesday
night for allegedly making provocative remarks against Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah last week.
Nellai Kannan was whisked away by a police team in
Perambalur district in connection with complaints against him by the BJP and
the ruling AIADMK.
The move comes hours after top Tamil Nadu BJP leaders
staged a demonstration near Gandhi statue point on the Marina beachfront,
demanding his arrest over the remarks.
The BJP had also petitioned Governor Banwarilal Purohit
seeking action against Kannan.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri in a
statement claimed Kannan has been arrested. Alagiri also condemned the move.
Kannan made the alleged remarks at an event organised by
the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on December 28. The BJP on Monday
lodged a police complaint seeking his arrest and prosecution.
“Such remarks are open threat to the lives of the
prime minister and the home minister and are an attempt to incite violence,
criminal intimidation, and abetment to murder,” State BJP spokesperson Narayanan
Thirupathi had said.