Tamil Nadu BJP leader S G Suryah was arrested by the police from Chennai late on Friday, with the party's state unit chief K Annamalai slamming the move as an attempt to "curtail free speech."
Police sources said the action was based on a CPI(M) complaint against a social media post of the BJP state secretary.
Suryah was arrested under sections of IPC and the IT Act, police said.
தமிழக பாஜக மாநிலச் செயலாளர் திரு @SuryahSG அவர்கள் நேற்று இரவோடு இரவாக கைது செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பது மிகவும் கண்டிக்கதக்கது. சமூகப் பிரச்சினைகளில் திமுக மற்றும் அதன் கூட்டணிக் கட்சியின் இரட்டை வேட நிலைப்பாட்டினை விமர்சித்ததற்காகக் கைது செய்திருக்கிறார்கள்.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 17, 2023
விமர்சனங்களை கருத்தால்…
"The arrest of @BJP4TamilNadu State Secretary Thiru @SuryahSG avl is highly condemnable. His only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the communists, allies of DMK. Using state machinery to curtail free speech & getting jittery for the slightest criticism is unbecoming of a democratically elected leader and, indeed, are signs of an autocratic leader in the making," Annamalai tweeted.
"These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth!" he added.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | Police bring BJP state secretary SG Surya to Madurai judges' quarters amid heavy security. He was arrested last night in connection with his recent tweet on Madurai MP Su Venkatesan. pic.twitter.com/DADhFO2m04
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023
The BJP state secretary was brought to the Madurai judges' quarters amid heavy security on Saturday morning.
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