Chennai Police arrests DMK MP RS Bharathi for alleged hate speech, interim bail granted

Chennai Police arrests DMK MP RS Bharathi for alleged hate speech, interim bail granted

Chennai police on Saturday arrested DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP RS Bharathi from his residence for his alleged 'derogatory remarks' against judges and people belonging to the scheduled castes (SC) community in a speech made in February this year. He was picked up by the polce2 from his residence.

The DMK leader was later in the day granted interim bail by Egmore court in Chennai.

In his speech he claimed that elevation of certain judges under then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to the Madras High Court was nothing but alms offered by the Dravidian movement.

The leader of the Tamilar Makkal Katchi Kalyanasundaram filed a police complaint against him under the scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

In his defense, Bharathi said that his comments, made in February this year, was 'twisted' by some sections of the media, adding that "some in the social media" was carrying out a 'politically motivated' campaign against him.

He alleged that he was being targeted by the AIADMK administration in Tamil Nadu as he tried to expose several incidents of corruption committed by the Tamil Nadu government.

The MDMK General Secretary and MP Vaiko demanded the government to withdraw the case against Bharathi. He said that Bharathi had already expressed regret for his controversial speech.