MADURAI: In the wake of Union Minister for State Shobha Karandlaje linking Tamil people in the Rameswaram cafe blast, the Madurai city police on Wednesday registered a case against her.
CM MK Stalin had earlier condemned her statement and demanded appropriate legal action for causing a threat to peace, harmony and national unity through a post on 'X' f.k.a. Twitter.
In his statement on 'X', Stalin urged the ECI to take note of the hate speech and initiate stringent action against her immediately. He also asked PM Modi that everyone in his party stop engaging in dirty and divisive politics.
The complainant, C Thiagarajan, of Kadachanenthal in Madurai, said when he watched a news channel on Tuesday, he came across the press briefing of Shobha stating Tamil people were having a connection with the cafe bomb blast that took place on March 1.
The complainant remarked that Shobha's statement would create animosity and resentment between Tamilians and Kannadigas at a time when the case is still being probed by authorities.
The complainant claimed that the BJP leader's statement had identified Tamil people as terrorists and feared that it would spoil the relationship and create tension between both states and their people.
Based on the complaint, the cyber crime police station of Madurai city booked a case against the BJP union minister under 153, 153 A, 505 (1) (b) and 505 (2) IPC sections.
Following the backlash, Shobha retracted her remarks, claiming that her words were meant to shine light and not cast shadows on anyone.
She also tendered an apology for creating pain and stressed that her remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest and linked to the Rameshwaram cafe blast.