On 3rd October, the Madras High Court quashed a charge sheet that the Chennai Central Crime Branch police had filed against film 61-year-old action choreographer Kanal Kannan, also known as V. Kannan. The case pertained to his 2022 speech where he demanded the removal of a statue of the anti-Hindu EV Ramasamy, popularly known as “Periyar” among his followers. The statue is located outside the prominent Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchi district and was erected there in 2006.
Justice G. Jayachandran highlighted, “It is the member of Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam who has given the complaint. In fact, the display of provocative words, commenting about believers of God opposite to a Hindu temple, is the cause for the speech and the person who had provoked the speech cannot take advantage of their provocations and prosecute the petitioner for his reaction.”
The judge approved the plea submitted by Kannan and set aside the whole prosecution proceeding before a Metropolitan Magistrate court at Egmore in Chennai. The case was booked in 2022 and the petitioner was arrested immediately. Subsequently, he was granted bail by Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan, subject to the stunt master submitting an affidavit promising not to make such offensive comments in the future.
He, however, contended that there was nothing wrong with calling for the statue which is situated directly outside a temple that is frequented by thousands of worshippers each day to be taken down, along with some “disparaging comments” about theists. He added that rather than apprehending the people who had installed the statue in front of the sacred place, the police had arrested him. Kannan stated that the speech was delivered during a public gathering hosted by the Hindu Munnani, of which he was an office bearer. Speaking to the attendees, he had declared that the statue outside the temple should be destroyed since it displayed remarks that all those who worship God and believe in him are “fools and barbarians.”
He submitted that he did not think his remarks violated any laws. However, the presence of the statue containing such statements is undoubtedly illegal and is punishable by the Indian Penal Code’s Sections 153 (promoting hostility between various groups), 505(1)(b) (disturbing public tranquillity), and 505(2) (promoting enmity between classes). The petitioner further stated that several videos denigrating Hindu gods and the Hindu faith had been making the rounds on social media in recent days, but the police had declined to file complaints against the perpetrators.
In his speech, Kannan pointed out, “Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is a holy one where at least one lakh Hindus worship every day. But opposite the temple, there is a statue of someone who said that there is no god. The day when that statue is broken will be the day we Hindus will rise.” Kannan has choreographed stunts for multiple Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Malayali films. Furthermore, he has given cameos in numerous movies.
