BJP's H Raja uses, retracts derogatory comment on HC

Known for his penchant for stoking controversies, BJP national secretary H Raja is at it yet again. And this time the mercurial Raja's target is the High Court.

The latest incident, video of which is caught on a mobile phone, took place on Saturday evening in Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu during immersion of Lord Vinayaka idols. In the video, Raja is seen abusing the cops and passing derogatory remarks against the High Court when a policeman points to an order by the top court of the state.

Police sources said Raja went mercurial after police personnel on duty stopped the procession from passing through a village due to communally sensitive nature of the area and asked it take a different route.

"Tamil Nadu police is highly corrupt. How did you people allow 19 colour television sets to be taken inside Puzhal prison in Chennai? Police are corrupt and you people have received bribes from members of other communities. If you want, ask me. I am ready to bribe you. Police is anti-Hindu," Raja is seen telling police personnel in the video.

It is at this point the police personnel refer to a judgement -- and Raja in his trademark style used expletives against the High Court. After the video went viral on social media sites like Facebook and micro-blogging site Twitter demanding action against Raja, the BJP leader pleaded innocence as usual.

"The voice in the video being circulated is not mine. The voice has been doctored. The video that is doing the rounds has been edited," Raja said in a clarification.

As Raja remarks created a political controversy, Tamil Nadu Government said action would be taken against the BJP leader for his "derogatory comments" on judiciary and police. "Action will be taken against those who speak ill of judiciary," Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters here on Sunday.

Raja is known for his controversial remarks and he has been in the news for all wrong reasons. In March this year, he tweeted about statues of Periyar being the next to be demolished after that of Lenin's in Tripura and calling DMK MP Kanimozhi as "illegitimate child" of late DMK President M Karunanidhi.

However, he blamed the Periyar tweet on his admin, who manages his Twitter account.