Tamil Puligal district secretary C. Sivakumar, 34, was detained under the National Security Act on Tuesday.
Sivakumar, who was arrested on July 24 for making “abusive” and “provocative” speech and lodged in the sub-jail at Mudukulathur, was shifted to the Central Prison in Madurai after Collector K. Nanthakumar order his detention under the NSA.
Five cases pendingPolice sources said five criminal cases were pending against Sivakumar in the district.
Superintendent of Police N.M. Mylvahanan said Sivakumar had the habit of making “provocative” speeches at meetings organised to raise the demand for increasing the reservation for the Arunthathiyars.
“His speech on July 23 at Kamuthi created tension as it provoked members of a particular caste. Police intervention kept the situation under control,” he said.
Sivakumar had alleged that a person belonging to the caste had taken over a piece of land with the help of fake documents.
He was arrested the next day under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code — 143 for unlawful assembly, 188 for disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant and 153 (A) for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.
The police said five cases, filed under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992, for damaging a bus in the Abiramam police limits in 2011 were pending against him.