Unperturbed by slapping of sedition case against folk singer Kovan for penning a song against liquor sale in the State, the song was sung at a protest organised here to condemn the “oppressive” action of the State government on Monday.
The protest, organised by Makkal Athigaram, began with a youth singing the song on a hand-held public address system after the city police denied permission for the regular public address system.
“The government has failed to understand that the song only reflected the popular sentiment of the people. Hundreds of people had come to the streets demanding total prohibition across the State only a couple of months back,” said its State functionary S. Vanchinathan.
Stating that there was no material for the State government to book him for sedition, Mr. Vanchinathan said that the police action was against the right to express. “It is only a repressive measure to stifle the voice of the people,” he said.
Mr. Vanchinathan said that the midnight arrest of Kovan by the police was juxtaposed to the approach police had taken in the suicide of DSP Vishnu Priya, rape of a minor girl by several persons in Sivaganga and the murder of Dalit youth Gokulraj.
He said that the song was fast spreading among the masses through social media like Youtube and WhatsApp.
The speakers condemned the arrest. They highlighted that most crimes like murder, robbery, rape and fatal accident occurred in the State only because of the proliferation of liquor.
