Tamil orator booked over alleged provocative remarks against Modi, Amit Shah
Tirunelveli (TN), Dec 31: Flooded with a volley of complaints seeking action over his 'provocative' remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, police have booked a Tamil writer and orator on charges, including instigating violence and rift between the two communities.
As police reached his residence here on Tuesday to arrest Nellai Kannan, who was associated with the Congress, they were told he was "suffering from chest pain" following which they took him to a hospital in an ambulance, police said.
Kannan, who was admitted to a private hospital, was shifted to another one after some Hindu outfits staged a dharna in front of them protesting his remarks, sources said.
He was later shifted to a private hospital in Madurai, they said.
Kannan landed in trouble after a video of his purported speech at a meeting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) organised by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) here on Saturday went viral on social media and the BJP lodged a police complaint seeking his arrest and prosecution.
State BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathi on Monday lodged a police complaint stating that Kannan called out the names of Prime Minister and Home Minister at the meeting and told the gathering he was "shocked as to why Muslims have not yet killed the Prime Minister and Home Minister..."
Maintaining that such remarks were an "open threat to the lives" of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, an attempt to incite violence, criminal intimidation, and abetment to murder also, he said all these were punishable under the Indian Penal Code and sought action against Kannan.
Party General Secretary K S Narendran has separately petitioned the state Director General of Police seeking stringent action against the orator, alleging his remarks went against national integrity and would trigger communal clash.
Besides abusing Modi and Shah, he had also allegedly made derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and others in his controversial speech.
Police said a case had been registered against Kannan under the IPC, including 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) and 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes).
They had also received a complaint from the ruling AIADMK against Kannan for allegedly defaming the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, police said.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including district secretary Dayasankar, gave a memorandum and a complaint seeking action by police against Kannan.
The BJP district secretary charged that Kannan spoke against the sovereignty and integrity of the country and sought stern action.
A group of BJP volunteers also separately gave a complaint to the Tirunelveli Commissioner of police.
According to the complaints, the orator allegedly told the gathering that "If his (Amit Shah) story is finished, then the story of the PM would also be over because he is the brain behind Modi. He was expecting some thing to happen. But No Muslim is doing."
BJP leader H Raja said in a tweet in Tamil that he would stage a sit in dharna, along with party leaders Pon Radhakrishnan, L Ganesan and C P Radhakrishnan at Marina beach in Chennai on January 1, demanding Kannan's arrest for his 'derogatory' remarks.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
At least 4 people killed in one of largest Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia
Kyiv, May (AP): At least four people, including three near Moscow, died in one of the largest Ukrainian overnight attacks against Russia since the start of the war, according to Russian local authorities.
A woman was killed after a drone hit her home in Khimki, a city just northwest of Moscow, and two men died in the village of Pogorelki 10 km north of the capital, according to local Gov. Andrei Vorobyev.
In social media updates, Vorobyev said Ukrainian drones had also damaged unspecified “infrastructure” and several high-rises.
In Moscow itself, at least 12 people were wounded in the nighttime strike, mostly near the entrance to the city's oil refinery, mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported. Sobyanin reported the “technology” of the refinery has not been damaged.
Russian defences shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight, state agency Tass reported, citing Sobyanin, marking one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
One man was also killed as a drone struck a lorry in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Russian air defences destroyed 556 drones over Russia overnight, the country's defence ministry said Sunday morning. Shortly after midday local time, it reported that over 1,000 had been shot down or jammed in the previous 24 hours.
Russia's largest airport — Moscow's Sheremetyevo — said drone debris had fallen on its premises without causing damage.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 287 drones overnight on Sunday, 279 of which were shot down or jammed, the Ukrainian air force reported.
According to Ukraine's estate emergency service, the strikes injured 8 people in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region: three in the regional capital of Dnipro, four in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, and one in the district of Synelkove.
Residential buildings were damaged in all three locations, the service said.
