TN police slaps case against BJP man for ‘hate tweet’

PTI, Jan 29, 2022, 10:55 AM IST

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Chennai: An FIR was filed on Friday against a BJP office-bearer for his tweet, following a complaint which alleged that he stoked communal passions by spreading false information in social media, police said.

The BJP slammed the police action saying it went against freedom of expression and referring to the tweet by its functionary, asserted that neither undignified words were used nor was there anything in it, that could create communal unrest. The Saffron party’s reaction came hours after Chennai police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal warned of tough action against those spreading canards in social media to create religious hatred or disturb public tranquility.

Following a complaint against a BJP functionary which alleged that he posted a tweet that created among people hatred and enmity based on religion, an FIR was filed by the cybercrime wing and an investigation has been taken up, police said.

The complaint was against Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Tamil Nadu president, Vinoj P Selvam, and it was filed by a resident of Kilpauk here, Elangovan.

Against this background, Jiwal warned of tough action against those spreading falsehood or distorting true news in social media to stoke communal passions or disturb public peace, a city police release said.

Selvam had posted a tweet related to an allegation on the demolition of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu. His tweets also include those pertaining to an allegation that a school in Thanjavur district had coerced a 17-year old girl student, a hostel inmate to convert to Christianity. The school management has rejected that allegation. The girl died by suicide recently.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said Selvam had posted a tweet on the demolition of temples by quoting news related to it and he had batted for good governance in local bodies. There was nothing in that post to stoke religious violence, Annamalai asserted in a statement, adding the BJYM chief had also not used any words that could be dubbed as undignified.

The BJP state unit chief said the police action went against freedom of expression and accused the DMK regime of ‘intimidation’. Criticisms against the government should be used to better its performance and must not be aimed at affecting free speech, Annamalai said.

The party would support Selvam in the matter, the TN BJP chief assured.