Orator arrested for hate speech on PM, granted bail

Tamil scholar and popular orator 'Nellai' Kannan, who was arrested for his hate speech on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, was on Friday granted conditional bail by the Principal District Court in Tirunelveli in southern Tamil Nadu.

The principal district judge directed Kannan to sign the register twice at the Melapalayam police station in Tirunelveli. The bail was granted on a day the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Government to file a counter to a plea filed by Kannan seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him.

Justice Jagadeesh Chandra posted the case for hearing on January 20, following strong objection from the government advocate to Kannan’s petition.

Kannan, 75, was arrested from Perambalur near Tiruchirapalli on January one, two days after he was booked by Tirunelveli police for his hate speech on Modi and Shah. He had made the hate speech against Modi and Shah at an event organised by SDPI in Tirunelveli, 625 km from here, on December 29, 2019.

A local court had sent Kannan to prison till January 13 on January 2.

In his speech, videos of which have gone viral, Kannan seems to ask Muslims why they haven't yet killed Modi and Shah. Kannan was arrested based on a complaint filed by a local BJP leader seeking action against him.