According to reports by news agency ANI, Bharathi was arrested today in the morning by the Chennai police. His advocate Shanmugasundaram declared that bail has been granted and said Bharathi’s arrest was related to his filing complaints against Chief Minister and other ministers for their corruption.
The report said that Bharathi had made a speech in a party office, Kalaignar Readers Circle in Chennai’s Anbagam which contained statements that were insulting for people from scheduled castes and judges. The report says that the MP had compared the promotion of judges when M Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister of the state to ‘alms given by the Dravidian movement.’ He was criticised for his by party President M.K.Stalin and had later Bharathi apologized for the speech and said that it was not meant to hurt the sentiments of the community.
A report by IANS said that a leader from Athi Tamilar Makkal Katchi Kalyanasundaram filed a police complaint against him under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Stalin has condemned the arrest and said that they will not be deterred by false cases. Rajya Sabha MP and General Secretary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Vaiko also came in support of Bharathi and had asked for the removal of the case.