CHENNAI: The city police on Monday arrested the youth whose posts on Facebook in which he
was seen burning the national flag went viral. Pulianthope police who had earlier registered an FIR, after a petition filed by Hindu Makkal Munnani, arrested him, police sources said.
Dhilipan Mahendran (26) of Nagapattinam is
a member of a fringe outfit, Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam. He was picked up from his hideout in Royapettah on Monday evening, police said.
The post on his Facebook page was uploaded on Saturday noon in which he also condemned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The youth's earlier Facebook posts were of him taking part in protests at Valluvarkottam in the city condemning the death of three SVS college students in Villupuram and that of Hyderabad-based research scholar, Rohit Vemula.
The youth was abused by online users after his
post burning the national flag went viral, while some supported his act, calling the uproar 'pseudo patriotism'.
Earlier, a city based airline pilot, C R Naveen Kumar of Chromepet had also filed a petition against the youth's act with the city police commissioner's office. Police sources said the Cyber crime wing of city police will also be pursuing the case.