The Chennai Police arrested a man allegedly associated with a controversial YouTube channel. (File)
The Chennai Police has arrested a 49-year-old man allegedly associated with a controversial YouTube channel, Karuppar Koottam, which recently released a critical video with derogatory comments on a Tamil Hindu devotional song leading to public outrage.
A statement from the police identified the man as Senthil Vasan from Velachery area of south Chennai.
The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint filed by the local unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which sought blocking of the YouTube channel stating that the slanderous video hurt religious sentiments.
The song had triggered outrage as it took on the popular devotional song "Kanda Shasti" which praises Lord Muruga.
Following public uproar on the internet, the channel expressed regret and removed the video.
Clarifying that members of Karuppar Koottam belonged to the Scheduled Castes and its chief coordinator wasn't a person of another religion, the channel said, "This is only a continuation of what many progressive people have shared on the stage since the days of Periyar (the father of the rationalist movement). Since many people told us that they were hurt by the content, we express our regret and have removed it from YouTube."
Denying tacit allegations on various social media websites that opposition parties in Tamil Nadu were behind the video, DMK senior leader K N Nehru issued a statement.
"The DMK doesn't have any hidden agenda. We don't hurt anyone's heart. We are not against any faith. We believe in equality and in everything for everyone," he said, asking his party cadre to identify the people responsible for the video and distance themselves from them.