Chennai: Pastor George Penniah has been arrested on Saturday in Madurai for making a hate speech against India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Several BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu had demanded his arrest, after the Catholic pastor’s vitriolic hate speech clip went viral on social media.
Speaking at a function organized by Christians and Muslims at a church in Kanyakumari district, the Pastor had also targeted the ruling DMK government. He warned the DMK Government that their electoral victory was the alms offered by the Christians and Muslims. He claimed that the DMK did not win because of their talent or skill, but because of his own instructions to the Christian and Muslim community voters. He went on to add how he told a DMK MLA about how the Christian Pentecostal sect workers had gone on door-to-door campaigns to work work a DMK win.
He also said that Bhooma Devi (Mother Earth) or Bharat Mata (mother India) was a dangerous disease and that he would not let it touch his body. He claimed that the Tamil Nadu government was providing free footwear so that people do not get rashes of diseases from stepping on Bharat Mata.
In a direct threat to the Hindu community, the Pastor is seen saying that “we (minorities) were once 42% of Kanyakumari’s population and now we are at 62%. Soon our population will surpass 70% and will continue to do so, none can stop it. We are warning the Hindus, we don’t fear the BJp or RSS, you cant stop us and we don’t care”.
Further, he went on to state that (if God that the minorities believe in, is still alive) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would meet a miserable end. He also went on to utter filthy language that cannot be reported here. He also stated that the curse of the minorities would affect the BJP’s top duo.
As per the FIR copy, the pastor was booked under IPC 143 for unlawful Assembly amid the pandemic (when all religious gatherings are prohibited), under IPC 153A for promoting enmity between religious groups, 295A for insulting religious beliefs, intimidation etc.
The BJP Tamil Nadu State unit held protests in different districts demanding the arrest of Ponnaiah under the Goondas Act and under National Security Act for his speech.
