CHENNAI: Film director and Naam Thamizhar president Seeman was arrested on Friday under the National Security Act (NSA) on charges of making inflammatory speeches at a meeting held here recently.
This is the second time that he is being detained under the NSA. On July 10, Seeman made inflammatory speeches at a meeting organised by his outfit to protest the alleged killing of a fisherman by the Lankan navy and held out a threat to Lankan students studying in the State.
The police registered cases against him under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups of religion and race) and 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant) and four special teams were set up to arrest him.
Seeman was arrested on July 12 as he was entering the Chennai Press Club and lodged at the Central prison in Vellore. On July 16, the Madras High Court rejected his plea for bail and the government decided to invoke the NSA against him.
MDMK chief Vaiko and Tamil nationalist P Nedumaran have condemned Seeman’s arrest under the NSA. They hit out at the DMK government, saying the Chief Minister was using the stringent NSA to intimidate and scare those who voiced support for Tamil fishermen and Lankan Tamils.