Hyderabad: Cyberabad Police of Hyderabad arrested South Indian actress S Kasthuri on Saturday over alleged derogatory remarks by her against the Telugu community. The actress, who was arrested from a guest house owned by a film producer in Hyderabad, will be produced before a court on Sunday, The Indian Express reported.
The actress allegedly said that Telugu people, who used to serve the wives and courtesans of Tamil Kings only 300 years ago, now falsely claim Tamil identity. These even when the Brahmin community had been denied the identity of Tamizhan, she allegedly said.
She made the controversial remarks at an event, a Brahmin meeting, in Chennai.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had dismissed the actor’s plea for anticipatory bail on Saturday. The bench observed that the remarks constituted hate speech while emphasizing the delicate balance between free expression and communal responsibility.
Her statement triggered a massive row, and a member of the Naidu Mahajana Sangam State Executive Committee filed a police complaint against her, citing offences under several sections of the BNS Act and provisions from the IT Act.
Following the backlash, the actor issued a public apology and clarified that her remarks were intended to address only certain individuals and not the Telugu community at large, The Indian Express reported.