Tamil film director Seeman held for 'inflammatory speeches'
Batlagundu (Tamil Nadu) (IANS): For the second time in two months, Tamil movie director Seeman was arrested at a shooting locale here on Friday for allegedly making inflammatory, secessionist speeches, police said.
"The arrest was made after repeated complaints from Congress leaders alleging denigration by Seeman of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's sacrifice and his continued inflammatory, secessionist speeches," a police official said.
"These are our continuing measures to curb suspected anti-national activity," Director General of Police K.P. Jain told IANS on phone from Chennai, 400 km north of here.
Seeman's car was set afire by miscreants in a southwest Chennai suburb.
"He has been under attack for inciting violence in Tamil Nadu in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. Now everyone can see who is indulging in this reprehensible violence," film director Manivannan told reporters after seeing the damaged vehicle.
Directors Seeman and Ameer had earlier been arrested in October for reportedly making speeches inciting violence during a protest demonstration in Rameshwaram in southern Tamil Nadu to express solidarity with the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.
The directors denied the charges and claimed they were only protesting the attacks on Tamils in Sri Lanka. The duo was released shortly on conditional bail and ordered to stay within the Madurai jurisdiction.
MDMK leaders Vaiko and M. Kannappan were arrested on similar charges the same month and then released in November.
Political parties in Tamil Nadu have expressed anguish over the killings of innocent Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka by its military establishment during the ongoing civil war to quell the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
So far over 100,000 civilians have been killed in the strife since 1983, including former Prime Ministers of India and Sri Lanka - Rajiv Gandhi and R. Premadasa respectively allegedly by the LTTE - charges denied by the terrorist organisation.
India is separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow expanse of water called Palk Strait.
