BJP leader files complaint against rapper Vedan over song 'targeting' PM Modi
Palakkad (PTI): A woman BJP leader from Palakkad has filed a formal complaint against popular rapper and songwriter Vedan (Hirandas Murali), accusing him of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promoting caste-based division through his music.
VS Minimol, a Municipal Councillor and Chairperson of the Development Committee at the Palakkad Municipality, has written to the Union Home Ministry and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), urging them to take action against the rapper.
She alleged that one of Vedan's songs contains defamatory remarks about the Prime Minister and inflammatory language aimed at "dividing the Hindu community along caste lines".
"The artist has made unsubstantiated, disrespectful, and offensive remarks about the Prime Minister, which not only malign his personal and political image but also undermine the dignity of the highest constitutional office in the country," Minimol said in the complaint, filed two days ago.
According to her, the song includes a direct mention of "Modi" during a live public performance, which she believes disrespects the office of the Prime Minister and spreads hatred among the public.
The complaint also highlighted Vedan's past legal issues, including his arrest on April 28 in connection with a drug case in Tripunithura, near Kochi.
It further alleged that, despite being out on bail, the rapper continues to hold large-scale concerts with massive audiences, during which he incites violence and hatred.
Minimol has requested that authorities investigate the matter under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including defamation, promoting enmity between groups, and causing public mischief. She also called for the application of relevant provisions under the Information Technology Act.
No official response from Vedan or his representatives has been reported so far.
The BJP leader’s complaint comes close on the heels of ongoing criticism against Vedan from Sangh Parivar leaders.
Hindu Aikyavedi leader K P Sasikala, speaking at an event in Palakkad on Wednesday, alleged that society was being humiliated by Vedan’s “improperly dressed antics” and said it was time to put a stop to them.
She also questioned the relevance of rap music to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community.
In response, Vedan said that Sasikala’s allegedly casteist remarks were part of a broader attempt to portray him as “an extremist, a separatist, or a troublemaker.”
He further claimed that Sasikala’s comments—suggesting that rap music has no connection to the SC/ST community—reflected an attitude among people like her who do not want members of such communities to pursue anything different.
"I don't have the voice to sing classical songs—if I did, I would. I can only sing rap," he told reporters in Kochi on Thursday.
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MP boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 10 with recovery of one more body; 3 tourists still missing
Jabalpur (PTI): The body of a child was retrieved on Saturday evening from Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, raising the death toll in the cruise boat tragedy that took place two days ago to ten, while search continued for three missing tourists.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a storm on Thursday evening with some of the survivors alleging negligence and safety lapses such as life jackets not being distributed in time.
The body recovered on Saturday evening was possibly that of six-year-old Viraj Soni, said Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra.
"The identity will be confirmed after family members identify the body," he told PTI.
Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory at Khamaria, his five-year-old son Tamil, and another child Mayuram (5) who had come from southern India were still missing.
Authorities have arranged equipment to search deep waters of the dam and are getting a generator to facilitate diving operations, Mishra added.
Divers and disaster response teams have expanded the search radius to five km, he said.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board the ill-fated vessel, 28 were rescued, police said.
More than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, joined the search operation that resumed at 5 on Saturday morning. The operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and local divers, was briefly affected at around 9 am due to strong winds, officials said.
Post-mortem examinations of nine deceased persons have been completed, Mishra said.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will also register a First Information Report in the case soon," he said.
Police said CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat while the identities of 41 passengers have been confirmed so far.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the tragedy and dismissed three crew members. It also banned operation of similar vessels in the state.
