The Greater Chennai City police has booked a case against Aadhav Arjuna, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam general secretary (Election Campaign Management) for posting on social media — in a message he later deleted — that the youth of Tamil Nadu may have to resort to an uprising against the ruling Government, similar to those seen in Sri Lanka and Nepal.Screenshots of his deleted post went viral on social media. “Lathi charge for walking on the road. Arrest for posting an opinion on social media. If the police become the subordinates of the ruling class in this way, the only way out for the youth is revolution. Just as in Sri Lanka and Nepal, where youth and Gen Z came together to create revolts against authority, the same uprising of the youth will happen here. That uprising will become the foundation for a change of government and also a conclusion against State’s excess,” he wrote on X.In the evening, police said a case has been registered against Aadav Arjuna at North Zone Cyber Crime Police Station for calling youth to resort to revolt. The case has been booked under Sections 192(Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 196(1)(b)(Promoting enmity between different groups) 197(1)(d)(makes misleading information, jeopardising the sovereignty and integrity or security of India) 353(1)(b) and 353(2) which deals with Statement conducing to public mischief of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Mr. Arjuna later edited the post, removing the reference to Sri Lanka and Nepal, before deleting it entirely.The post attracted widespread criticism from political parties. DMK deputy general secretaries Kanimozhi and A. Raja, and MDMK general secretary Vaiko condemned his remarks.‘Extreme irresponsibility’Ms. Kanimozhi said that speaking in a manner that incites violence, especially at a time when one should be standing with the victims of a stampede that claimed 41 lives during a TVK rally in Karur on September 27, reflects “extreme irresponsibility” and should be avoided.She said this in response to a question by journalists regarding Mr. Arjuna’s social media post. Speaking to reporters at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam in Chennai, Ms. Kanimozhi further asked: “How could a party leader leave the site of such a tragedy without even offering condolences, prioritising his own security? If he was unable to visit the victims, he could have asked his party’s second-rung leaders and district office-bearers to assist the affected people.”Ms. Kanimozhi said the entire State government machinery swiftly made arrangements, and the Chief Minister and Ministers visited the affected people within a few hours. The government also constituted a one-member commission, headed by retired Madras High Court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, to probe the circumstances that led to the incident. She said such tragic incidents should never occur again, and organisers of public events should pay serious attention to safety and security.‘Acted without political wisdom’Speaking to reporters, Mr. Raja said, “When India’s economic growth rate was 8%, Tamil Nadu’s growth rate stood at nearly 12%. The State is progressing peacefully. His [Mr. Arjuna’s] social media post was against the sovereignty and integrity of India. Even though he deleted the post, did Mr. Vijay condemn him? Did he [Mr. Arjuna] issue any statement saying what he posted was wrong? He acted without political wisdom. Is this good for Tamil Nadu? Why was he not removed from the party?”He added that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin approached the incident like a mature politician, setting aside political differences. Mr. Raja also said TVK members did not visit Karur to meet the affected people, possibly due to guilt over the incident. Published - September 30, 2025 04:27 pm IST