A Facebook user by the name of Venkatesh Kumar Babu from Kovilpatti town in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district has been arrested by Kayathar police for issuing a death threat to a child who played social reformer, Periyar in a skit for the programme “Junior Super Star” that airs on Zee Tamil. The police have registered a case under sections 153(a) (promoting enmity between different groups), 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and section 67 of the Information and Technology Act. Babu has been remanded to Kovilpatti subjail.
In the episode of Junior Super Star that aired on February 19, the child delivered a speech on Periyar’s views on women’s liberation. “Women have a life beyond their husbands. They have dreams too and desires. Caste, religion, and culture shackle women. Stop seeing women as mere tools to give birth to children…” the child had said. In the skit, the child dressed as Periyar is also seen to admonish caste practises and advocated rationalism. Chief Minister MK Stalin had on Thursday invited the children, who participated in the Periyar skit, to his office and interacted with them, appreciating them for their performance. The Chief Minister had also posed for pictures with the children.
Infuriated by this, Venkatesh Kumar Babu had on Saturday put out a post in Tamil in which he said, “The child should be killed and hanged at a junction. Only then other children and their parents would be afraid. Can they not dress as VOC, [Muthuramalingam] Thevar, Bharathiyaar, Netaji?”
According to IANS, the DMK Thoothukudi Urban District Secretary, Suresh Kannan, lodged a complaint with the local police station citing that the social media post of Venkatesh Kumar had gone viral and that immediate action be taken against him. In the complaint, the DMK leader said that this would lead to serious law and order problems in the area.
TOI also reports that the Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police had warned of strict action against those who attempt to cause social unrest through social media posts or posters.
With inputs from IANS