Tamil Nadu: Islamist Group Functionary Arrested For Threatening To Behead PM Modi, HM Amit Shah  

The Mangalamedu police in Tamil Nadu’s Perambalur district on Wednesday (28 August) arrested the headquarters speaker of Islamist group Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) for issuing a threat to behead and kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Times Of India reported.

The 24-year-old accused, M Mohammed Shareef, a resident of Marsingpet in Trichy was arrested by the police on charges of disobedience to order, threat to a public servant, provoking breach of peace and criminal intimidation.

The arrest came five days after videos of his speech delivered during a street corner meeting of the party at Labbaikudikadu in Perambalur went viral on social media.

Shareef delivered the speech on Sunday (25 August) during TMMK's protest against the triple talaq bill, the dilution of Articles 370 and 35A and amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In the speech, Shareef is heard saying that "If we had only been thinking of Muslims, Amit Shah wouldn't be alive at this moment, Narendra Modi wouldn't be alive and Parliament wouldn't be Parliament. But we have not done that. Why? Because we have respect for India's laws, democracy and Constitution".

TMMK and its allied Islamist organisations have been holding a series of demonstrations in various parts of Tamil Nadu against the Narendra Modi led government. The protests have received the support of political parties like the DMK, CPM, CPI and VCK, and the Christian Goodwill Movement.

The president of TMMK, M H Jawahirullah condemned the comments made by Shareef and said that they have removed him as the headquarters speaker for violating TMMK’s principles.

The state unit of BJP had earlier filed a hate speech complaint against the TMMK functionary with the police.