Tamil Youtuber and NTK member Sattai Durai Murugan arrested for defaming MK
Chennai: Tamil Youtuber and propaganda secretary of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) was arrested at Courtallam on Thursday for defaming former Chief Minister M K Karunanidhi by singing a song derogating the late DMK leader during the campaign for the by-election to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district.
The arrest raised the ire of the Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, who, in a statement, demanded the withdrawal of the case against Durai Murugan and his immediate release and also NTK chief coordinator Seeman.
Launching a scathing attack for arresting people who spoke against the government, Seeman sang the same song that Durai Murugan had sung at Vikravandi and challenged the government to arrest him when media persons raised a question on the arrest when he went to honour freedom fighter Alagumuthu Kone at his statue in Egmore on his 302nd birth anniversary.
Seeman wondered if it was a crime to criticize Karunanidhi and said that the government had been not taking action against many other crimes like bootlegging and 133 murders in 33 days. Durai Murugan, an aide of his, was being arrested to weaken him, he said.
Durai Murugan, whose arrest was based on a complaint filed in Trichy over his alleged derogatory song, was brought to Trichy when supporters of the NTK gathered in large numbers and raised slogans in support of him and urging the government to not suppress freedom of expression.
Earlier, Durai Murugan was arrested in a case relating to his disparaging speech against Chief Minister M K Stalin in 2021. Though he obtained bail, it was cancelled by the Madras High Court. When he approached the Supreme Court for an order against the High Court verdict, a bench consisting Justices Abhay Soka and Ujjal Bhoyan restored the bail in April.
Hearing that appeal, the Supreme Court judges had asked as to what amounted to defamation and who would decide on it.
Now, once again, the NTK leader is facing defamatory charges and has been arrested, raising a debate in political circles and social media. Some Youtubers said that a word that is part of lyrics of the impugned song was singularly casteist in nature. They also said that Durai Murugan who was technically still on bail had given an assurance to the court that he would not malign anyone.
The social media users also said that Seeman was liable to be hauled up for repeating the same song in public and could even be booked under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes Act.
In 2006, Seeman had apologised for using the same derogatory word in an article in his party's magazine, they point out.