RBVS Manian was arrested from his T Nagar residence early on Thursday morning. He is now in judicial remand.
On September 11, speaking at a function held in Chennai, Manian made several controversial statements about Ambedkar, minority communities, and scheduled castes.
The Chennai police on Thursday, 14 September, arrested devotional speaker and former vice-president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Tamil Nadu unit, RBVS Manian, for allegedly making a derogatory speech about BR Ambedkar and Thiruvalluvar.
In a viral video, Manian was heard terming Ambedkar a mere stenographer of the Indian Constitution besides making derogatory comments on the revered Tamil poet, Thiruvalluvar. He was picked up from his T Nagar residence on Thursday morning.
Manian made the alleged controversial statements about Ambedkar, minority communities, and Scheduled Castes (SCs), while addressing an event in Chennai on Monday, 11 September.
In a video of the speech, Manian was heard referring to Ambedkar as a “clerk, typist, and proofreader” of the Indian Constitution.
Manian said that Dr Babu Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the country, was instrumental in forming the Constitution and Ambedkar was the last man, to proofread the Constitution framed by eminent persons, and that he had nothing to do with framing of the Constitution.
“He was just the Drafting Committee chairman of the Indian Constitution,” he said.
He further stated that the minorities who didn’t accept Lord Rama were unfit to live in the country. “Lord Rama was born to Dasaratha. There is proof. Does anyone have any evidence to show to whom Tiruvalluvar was born,” he reportedly asked.
Following Manian’s derogatory remarks, several Dravidian and Dalit outfits and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party complained to the police in Chennai and Madurai.
The Chennai police registered a case based on a complaint by a VCK functionary, Selvam.
On early Thursday morning, the Mambalam police picked Manian up from his house at Rajambal Street in T Nagar. An arrest memo was issued to his relatives present there.
The FIR was filed under sections 153, 153(1) (a), 505 (1) (b), and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code. Further sections 3 (1) (r), 3(1) (u), and 3 (1) (v) of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act were also invoked.
Manian was produced before a magistrate court in Saidapet Court and remanded in judicial custody.
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