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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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
