The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold protest marches on September 26 to condemn the remarks made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Union Minister A Raja against Hindus and Hinduism. In a statement on Thursday, September 22, Tamil Nadu BJP state president Annamalai said that the party would hold protest marches in a democratic manner and would fill the jails in the state in protest against the indiscriminate arrest of BJP workers.
The Coimbatore district president of the BJP, Balaji Uthamarasami was arrested on Wednesday, September 21, for his speech and defamatory remarks against A Raja. Annamalai, in a statement, said that the Tamil Nadu Police have turned into a force serving the interests of the political masters. He charged that the police, instead of taking action against A Raja over his remarks against Hindus and Hinduism, was arresting the BJP leaders and added that the party would oppose this tooth and nail.
He said that more than 100 BJP leaders were arrested by the state police in various places, including Coimbatore Urban, Coimbatore South, Tuticorin North, Kallakurichi, Vellore, Erode North and Virudhunagar West. The BJP state president called for the workers to converge in large numbers to attend the protest marches on September 26.
Raja sparked a controversy on September 6 when he said at a public meeting, “As long as you are a Hindu, you are a Shudra. As long as you are a Shudra, you are the son of a prostitute.” BJP leaders have been demanding an apology from the DMK joint general secretary, calling his remarks anti-Hindu. Raja however dismissed the demands on September 19, saying he had no reason to apologise. Raja said he wasn’t anti-Hindu, nor was the DMK or the Dravidian movement. Citing the fight for reservations for Backward Classes, Raja said that it was Periyar, Dravida Kazhagam and DMK that fought for reservation for Backward Class Hindus.
Watch: A Raja: இந்து மதம் குறித்த பேச்சுக்கு மன்னிப்பு கேட்க முடியாது