• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

JE News Desk: Tamil Nadu BJP state secretary SG Suryah was arrested by the Madurai district cyber crime police late on Friday night for allegedly spreading fake news on social media. He was arrested for his recent tweet alleging the death of a sanitation worker in Madurai. He has been sent to 15-day judicial custody. In his tweet, he also attacked Madurai MP Su Venkatesan for his silence.

Suryah also accused Communist Party of India (Marxist) councillor, Viswanathan of forcing a hygiene worker to clean a drain filled with faeces which allegedly resulted in his death due to allergies. However, the Madurai district police have denied the incident taking place in the district.

Taking to Twitter, Suryah wrote, "Sanitation worker's life lost by a communist councillor. Madurai MP S Venkatesan who keeps fake silence! Your fake politics of separatism stinks worse than that cesspool. Find a way to live as a human being, mate!"

The Tamil Nadu BJP leader was arrested under sections 153 (a) 505 (1)(b), 505 (1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under 66(d) of the IT Act. He is currently being taken to the magistrate for remand.

The BJP has condemned the arrest of Suryah with BJP state president K Annamalai accusing the ruling DMK of using the police to curtail free speech.

 "The arrest of Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary Mr SG Suryah overnight is highly condemnable. His only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the communists, allies of DMK,” K Annamalai tweeted.

“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. Drawing inspiration from autocrats, TN CM Thiru @mkstalin is turning the state into a lawless jungle. These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth!" he further wrote in his tweet.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar also condemned the arrest and said it was a violation of free speech.

BJP Leader CT Ravi also condemned the arrest of Suryah by Tamil Nadu Police for raising questions about the ‘incompetent’ DMK government. “If CM @mkstalin thinks that he can put down the true voice of Tamil Makkal through such arrests, then he should come out of his good for nothing Dravidian Model,” he tweeted.

SG Suryah’s arrest came days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji for his alleged involvement in a job racket scandal. Earlier on Wednesday, he was sent to 14-day judicial custody till June 28 by Sessions Court in connection with a money laundering case.