Chennai: Political analyst and publisher Badri Seshadri was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on Saturday, July 29, in Chennai over a comment he made about the Manipur violence during an interview on Aadhan Tamil Youtube on July 22.
The interview touched on various aspects of the Manipur violence, including the roles of the Kukis, Meitis, Nagas, and the ruling BJP government. However, it was a particular remark about the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that led to the arrest. A lawyer named Kaviyarasu lodged a complaint against Badri, stating that the comment belittled the CJI, reported The News Minute.
During the interview, Badri pointed out that the problems in Manipur stemmed from the Manipur High Court's decision on granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. He then went on to talk about CJI DY Chandrachud and criticised the Supreme Court's stance on the matter. He questioned whether the CJI, if given a gun, would be capable of ensuring peace.
Kaviyarasu, in his complaint, alleged that Badri's remarks were an attempt to demean the CJI's position and also brought down the honour of the Supreme Court and the country's judicial system. Based on this complaint, Badri was booked under Sections 153, 153A, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to provocation with intent to cause a riot, promoting enmity between different groups, and making statements conducted to public mischief, respectively.
The Manipur violence has been a matter of concern, and on July 20, the Supreme Court directed the Manipur government and Union government to take immediate action to restore peace in the region after a video surfaced showing two Kuki women being paraded naked by a mob of Meitei men.
Badri is known as the Managing Director of New Horizon Media Private Limited and a co-founder of Cric Info. He also writes for Swarajya magazine.
The arrest of Badri Seshadri has sparked reactions from various quarters.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai condemned the arrest, questioning the actions of the Tamil Nadu Police and the DMK government. He accused the government of relying on arrests without addressing the concerns of the common people.