In 2015, Mr Kovan was arrested for allegedly criticising then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Highlights
- Police has arrested singer Kovan in Trichy
- Police say they made the arrest after complaint by a BJP youth leader
- Mr Kovan was earlier arrested for song criticising J Jayalalithaa
Tamil folk singer Kovan has been arrested for a song that criticises PM Narendra Modi besides taking dig at Chief Minister E Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam.
The song that also takes on the recent Rath Yatra by Sree Rama Dasa Mission Universal Society
that entered Tamil Nadu amid protests by opposition parties, went viral on video sharing platform Youtube.
The video shows visuals of the Rath Yatra and Isha Foundation's Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev dancing with the song in the background.
Police say the action was taken after a complaint by BJP's youth wing secretary in Trichy, N Goutham. Investigators have registered a case of promoting enmity, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, intent to cause mutiny and alarm.
In the song, Mr Kovan says, "The story of a rule with slippers is in Ramayana. In Tamil Nadu Modi's two slippers rule." In the song, Mr Kovan also attacks PM Modi on the Cauvery issue.
In 2015, the 56-year-old singer, who's real name is Sivadas,
was arrested for allegedly criticising then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in a video that demands closure of liquor shops. It caricatured her as serving liquor to people besides slamming the state government's liquor policy. The song was viral on social media.
The Chennai police then said, "It was a personal attack on Jayalalithaa and it attacks the state's liquor policy which could trigger enmity among groups". The case is still pending and Mr Kovan, a member of Makkal Kalai llakkiya Kazhagam, is out on bail.