Police in Kerala yesterday arrested Hindu Ezhava leader and an ally of Bharatiya Janata Party, Vellappally Natesan, for allegedly making a hate speech last year.
A court in Aluva near the port city of Kochi later released him on bail.
Natesan was booked under the Indian Penal Code for “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth and language” in his speech during his statewide drive to unite Hindu groups late last year.
Natesan in his speech allegedly insulted Naushad who died while trying to rescue  two migrant workers trapped in a manhole by saying he received compensation from the government because he was a Muslim.
Natesan, the general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, a century-old organisation working to uplift the formerly untouchable backward caste, recently formed a political outfit at the instance of the BJP to unite different Hindu castes.
The Aluva police registered the case against him on a complaint from the Congress Party saying his remarks were aimed at dividing people into communal lines. The Kerala High Court later granted him anticipatory bail until January 10. If proved guilty, he could get up to three years in jail and a fine.
After his release, Natesan slammed state Congress president V M Sudheeran, who is on a month-long statewide journey against growing intolerance, and reminding him that his party would not be in power forever in Kerala.
“He’s hunting me for the past 18 years while not uttering a word against others,” Natesan said. “I have love and respect for Naushad. I didn’t mean to insult him.”
He had alleged that the Congress-led government was giving financial assistance to families of accident victims on the basis of caste and religion, and his followers had received his remarks against Naushad with claps.
Natesan alleged that the government showed discriminatory attitude towards Hindu victims as their families were offered less money and that if anyone has to get gratis from the government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, they should either be a Christian or Muslim.
Chandy, who visited Naushad’s home, had also offered a government job to his wife as he was the sole breadwinner for the family.