Tamil Nadu: Man Arrested For Saying 'BJP Needs To Stage Riots For Support'

Udaiyar, deputy head of Hindu Makkal Katchi, was taken into custody on Tuesday night after a controversial audio clip went viral. In the clip, he purportedly tells a BJP leader that instigating riots is the only way for the party to gain support in the state.

“The BJP can get a foothold in the state only if we orchestrate riots. Otherwise, no one will vote for us. Do these people (BJP) have the guts to oppose others? No. The only way (to grow) is to orchestrate riots,” Udayar allegedly told a BJP leader, according to an audio clip, which could not be independently verified by Outlook.

The purported conversation took place after BJP candidate Nainar Nagendran lost the Lok Sabha polls to Congress candidate Robert Bruce by a margin of over one lakh votes. The BJP has struggled to gain traction in Tamil Nadu, failing to win a single seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) emerged as the dominant force by bagging 22 of the 40 seats in the southern state. DMK's INDIA bloc ally Congress won 9 seats.

Udaiyar has been remanded in judicial custody until June 25. The police have charged him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.