Telangana atheist who made offensive remarks on Lord Ayyappa arrested

The Telangana police arrested Bairi Naresh, an atheist who made disparaging comments on Lord Ayyappa and enraged the religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees across the state.

Protests and road blockades by devotees in black-robes practicing deeksha continued at various places in the state on Saturday. Hindu groups have threatened to lay siege to Pragathi-Bhavan, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's palatial office-cum-residence, "if the BRS government fails to act stringently with such offenders."

The Telangana VHP activists burnt the effigy of KCR government at Kothapet in Hyderabad and demanded that Preventive Detention Act be invoked on all the participants of the atheist group meeting where Bairi and few others reportedly made offensive comments on Hindu revered figures.

The Hyderabad police had in August booked suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh under the PD Act and lodged him in jail, following his allegedly objectionable remarks about Prophet Mohammed. Saffron groups are asking the KCR administration and Telangana police for similar action in the present case.

Also Read: Remarks on deities: Telangana BJP chief says KCR encouraging blasphemy

Bairi and another person Renjarla Rajesh are facing the ire of Hindu groups for their obnoxious public statements, targeting one religion.

Bairi, leader of a lesser known atheist group, made the remarks about the origin of Lord Ayyappa at a meeting of some Ambedkarites and atheists at Kodangal on 19 December. The speech video came into social media circulation on Thursday, sparking instant outrage from the Hindu community.

On Friday, a case was registered on Bairi at Kodangal police station in Vikarabad district under the IPC sections 153-A, 295-A, 298, 505(2) dealing with acts of promoting enmity between different groups, deliberately, maliciously outraging religious feelings, etc.

Absconding Bairi was taken into custody at Kamalapuram in Hanamkonda district on Saturday and was later sent to 14 day judicial custody.

TBJP chief Bandi Sanjay accused chief minister KCR's lenience as emboldening anti-Hindu elements.