The People’s Rights Protection Centre has strongly condemned the arrest of S. Kovan, a folk singer of the People’s Art and Literary Association, for attacking the State government’s liquor policy.
In a statement here, S. Vanchinathan, State coordinator, described the arrest for sedition as an affront on the right to expression and “fascist” in nature. He pointed out that the Supreme Court, through several orders, had ruled that a person could be arrested for sedition only when his speech, writing or action was detrimental to public peace. He wanted to know how Kovan’s song against liquor shops disrupted public peace.
The centre accused the State government of indulging in a “fascist act” of suppressing artistes’ right to expression and people’s democratic right to protest against liquor shops with his arrest.
