The Villupuram police have booked Naam Tamilar Katchi coordinator Senthamizhan Seeman under multiple sections for his speech against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
While speaking at an election meeting in the Vikravandi constituency, which will go to bye-polls on October 21, Seeman launched into a tirade against the former Prime Minister. In addition to terming Rajiv Gandhi “an enemy of the Tamilians”, he even glorified his horrific assassination, which took place in Sriperumbudur in 1991.
"Yes, we killed Rajiv Gandhi. That is right," he said, to applause from the audience. "A time will come when history is rewritten. It will say that Rajiv Gandhi, who sent Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF in Sri Lanka) to sell-out and kill my people, was murdered in the motherland of Tamilians,” he claimed.
Seeman has been booked based on a complaint filed by the Villupuram District Congress Secretary.
Speaking to TNM, Villupuram Superintendent of Police (SP) Jayakumar said the complaint was filed by District Congress secretary Ramesh. The Naam Tamilar Katchi leader has been booked under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.
When informed of the case against him, Seeman refused to retract his statement.
"We have seen many such cases. We will legally handle this case,” he told a Tamil channel.
Congress MP K Vishnuprasad, meanwhile, told TNM, "These are inflammatory speeches that are creating unrest in society. He is purposely misguiding youngsters. Seeman's party must be banned."
In 2018 also, the Taramani police had filed a criminal case against Seeman for praising the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in a public meeting at Chennai's Kottivakkam.
On September 21, the Election Commission has announced that bye-polls in Nanguneri and Vikravandi constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be conducted on October 21. Bye-elections in Nanguneri Assembly constituency are being held as the seat fell vacant after sitting MLA H Vasanthakumar of the Congress party was elected as the MP from the Kanyakumari constituency. In Vikravandi, bye-elections are being held due to the death of DMK MLA K Radhamani.