Perambalur: Tamil writer Nellai Kannan arrested over inciting speech at anti-CAA protest meet

Police on Wednesday arrested Tamil writer Nellai Kannan in Perambalur in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, an FIR had been registered against him over his speech during a protest meeting, called by the Social Democratic Party on December 29, against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Ever since his inciting speech, BJP workers in Tamil Nadu had been demanding the arrest of Kannan over his statements. Earlier on Wednesday, the saffron camp had staged a protest at Marina Beach in Chennai demanding the arrest of Kannan. The Chennai Police even detained several BJP leaders, including H Raja, La Ganesan, Pon Radhakrishnan, and CP Radhakrishnan, from the venue earlier today.

The BJP state leadership had condemned Kannan's anti-CAA speech and "nobody will accept his utterances". BJP state secretary had said to the news agency ANI, "It is highly condemnable. Nobody will accept these utterances of Nellai Kannan. In fact, he spoke at a Muslim rally. The Muslim leaders who were present on the dais should have condemned it."

Nellai Kannan was booked by the Tirunelveli Police under Sections 504, 505(1) and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges on him include intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and intent to cause fear, alarm or disruption to the public life. Several BJP leaders had complained against Kannan's inciting statements that he had delivered through the speech in the anti-CAA protest meeting called by the Social Democratic Party on December 29.