CHENNAI: Remaining elusive for days after the Karur stampede, TVK general secretary for election campaign management Aadhav Arjuna has moved the Madras High Court praying for quashing the FIR registered against him by the Cyber Crime wing of Greater Chennai Police on his social media post allegedly calling for Nepal-like uprising against the state government. The post was later taken down following a backlash.
Arjuna said the FIR does not disclose commission of any cognisable offence, much less the offence of hate speech or incitement to rioting or inducement to public mischief by him.
Stating that the FIR is motivated, frivolous and vexatious targeting only for the reason that he, the general secretary for election campaign management of TVK, was speaking against the atrocities done to the common people, the petition claimed the post cannot be said to be provocatory or inciting rebellion against sovereignty and integrity of the country or endangering security of the state or as inciting breach of public order.
It is clearly a response to the police violence and mala fide arrests and accordingly calls for democratically overthrowing the government in power and showing the might of the people against brutality by state agencies, the petition stated.
The petition said the post on X platform was available only for a very brief period - from 11.28 pm to 12.02 am between September 29 and 30. It prayed for interim stay of all further proceedings and restraining the GCP from taking coercive action against him and quashing the FIR.