The Tamil Nadu police has registered a case against the State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, K. Annamalai, allegedly for promoting religious enmity during his recent visit to Dharmapuri. The State BJP chief faced protest when he tried to enter a church in the district as part of his ‘En Mann En Makkal’ padayatra and he engaged in an argument with the protesters.
Annamalai was in Dharmapuri on January 7 and 8 as part of the tour, he visited St. Lourdes Church in Bommidi near Pappireddipatti on the second day. During the visit, a group of youth protested Annamalai’s visit to the church and his attempt to garland the idol here, expressing solidarity with the Christians killed in the ethnic violence in Manipur. “Christians like us were killed in Manipur, you cannot lay your garland here. They killed our people, they destroyed our churches. This is holy ground,” a protester could be heard saying in a video footage of the incident. “Why did you kill our Christian people?,” the protesters asked the BJP leader.
As the arguments escalated, Annamalai lost his cool and asked the protesters not to talk to him like DMK men. “Everyone has the right to come here. What right do you have to stop me? Is the church in your name? If I bring 10,000 people here for a dharna, what will you do?,” he asked, according to The News Minute report.
The BJP leader proceeded with garlanding the idol of Mary after police intervened and dispersed the protesters.
Based on a complaint from a youth from P. Pallipatty, Bommidi police has registered a case against Annamalai under three sections - 153(A)(a), 504, 505(2) of the IPC – sections related to promoting religious enmity and causing provocation to public peace.