Namakkal-based social media activist Praveen Raj was arrested by Tamil Nadu police, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP. The State BJP leadership condemned the arrest as a clear case of political targeting by the ruling DMK government, accusing it of stifling dissent and suppressing democratic voices. Party leaders have demanded an explanation from the government, calling the arrest a violation of free speech and a dangerous precedent in a democracy.
BJP functionary S Praveenraj (28) was arrested by Namakkal District Police for allegedly posting inflammatory content on social media platform X under the handle ‘Sanghi Prince’. A resident of Muthukalipatti in Rasipuram taluk, Praveenraj had reportedly shared a post on April 25, tagging a Tamil news channel’s report, which authorities claim contained hate speech targeting followers of a particular religion.
According to the police, the post linked a Muslim individual to an incident involving attempted sabotage of a railway track by removing bolts. However, subsequent investigation revealed that the accused in the case was a sadhu named Om, not a person from a minority community. Citing the potential of the post to disturb religious harmony and public order, the police registered a case and arrested Praveenraj.
The arrest has triggered criticism from BJP leaders, who allege political vendetta and suppression of dissent by the ruling DMK government.
Fake news claims that a BJP cadre was arrested for sharing a video against Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister !
Social media posts claim that Praveen Raj (@sangiePrince), a BJP cadre, was arrested by the police for sharing a video against the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,… https://t.co/rw0wItucjv
— TN IID (@tn_factcheck) July 2, 2025
Namakkal-based BJP functionary and social media activist Praveenraj was arrested on July 1, 2025, after evading authorities for over two months. A case had been registered against him at the Nallipalayam Police Station following a complaint filed by the Namakkal Cybercrime Cell. He was booked under Sections 196 and 346 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which relate to promoting enmity between groups and tampering with property marks in a manner likely to cause harm.
Praveenraj was taken into custody and produced before a magistrate on the same day, following which he was remanded to judicial custody.
Reacting sharply to the arrest, Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran alleged political vendetta. “I condemn the arrest of our party functionary Praveenraj for criticising the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack by the DMK-controlled police force,” he said in a post on X. Nagendran also stated that he had spoken to Praveenraj’s father and assured the family of full legal and political support.
பஹல்காமில் தீவிரவாதத் தாக்குதல் நடத்தியவர்கள் குறித்து விமர்சித்ததற்காக நமது தமிழக பாஜக நிர்வாகி திரு. பிரவீன் ராஜ் அவர்கள் திமுகவின் ஏவல் துறையால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பதை வன்மையாகக் கண்டிக்கிறேன்.
தகவலறிந்து தொலைபேசி வாயிலாக திரு. பிரவீன் ராஜ் அவர்களின் தந்தையுடன் உரையாடி… https://t.co/7HmlsxZMJk
— Nainar Nagenthran (@NainarBJP) July 1, 2025
Meanwhile, prior to his arrest, Praveenraj had posted a series of updates on X alleging that the police had harassed his family and that the case against him was driven by political motives.
Reacting to the arrest of BJP functionary Praveenraj, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai strongly condemned the move, calling it an example of the DMK government’s misuse of state machinery to suppress dissent on social media.
In a post on X, Annamalai stated, “The arrest of Mr. Praveenraj, associated with Tamil Nadu BJP, for a social media post is strongly condemnable. With thousands of pressing law and order issues in Tamil Nadu—ranging from the rising circulation of narcotics to sexual crimes against women and children, and the murder of elderly citizens—it’s shameful that Chief Minister @mkstalin is deploying the police full-time to monitor social media.”
He accused the DMK government of targeting BJP members for merely expressing opinions online while turning a blind eye to derogatory comments made by DMK members against the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, and BJP leaders. “Instead of addressing administrative failures, the DMK continues its childish behaviour of arresting BJP members over routine posts. Power and authority are not permanent,” he added.
சமூக வலைத்தளப் பதிவுக்காக, தமிழக பாஜகவைச் சார்ந்த திரு. பிரவீண் ராஜ் அவர்கள் கைது செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பது கடுமையாகக் கண்டிக்கத்தக்கது.
தமிழகத்தில் பெருகி வரும் போதைப் பொருள் புழக்கம், பெண்கள், குழந்தைகளுக்கு எதிரான பாலியல் குற்றங்கள், தனியாக வசிக்கும் முதியோர்கள் கொலை செய்யப்படுவது…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) July 2, 2025
Anticipating his arrest, BJP functionary and social media activist Praveenraj, known online as ‘Sanghi Prince’, took to X to claim he was being targeted for refusing to retract his statements against terrorism. He alleged that the police had previously harassed his family and attempted to intimidate him ahead of a court appearance linked to an ongoing case.
Praveenraj also claimed that during a prior arrest, he was deliberately placed in a jail cell with a convict involved in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts, where he was again subjected to threats. Referring to the recent custodial death of Ajith Kumar in Sivaganga district, he warned, “I am the next Ajith Kumar… but this murder is not for jewellery, it is for speaking out against terrorists,” tagging BJP leaders @NainarBJP and @annamalai_k in his post.
20 போலீஸ் வீட்டு முன்னாள்…
நான் அடுத்த அஜித் குமார்…ஆனால் இந்த கொலை நகைக்காக அல்ல, தீவிரவாதிகளை எதிர்த்து பேசியதற்காக இருக்கும் @NainarBJP@annamalai_k
13-05-2025 : பாகிஸ்தான் தீவிரவாதிகள், "பகல்காம் தாக்குதலை நடத்தவர்களை இஸ்லாமிய தீவிரவாதிகள்" என இனி எழுத மாட்டேன் என… pic.twitter.com/7mYy8PBNMK
— Sanghi Prince 🚩 (@SanghiPrince) July 1, 2025
In Tamil Nadu, the state police—often criticised by opposition parties and civil society as stooges of the ruling DMK—stand accused of selectively targeting social media users who post critical content about the Chief Minister, his family, government policies, and minority leaders allied with the DMK. Critics allege that while such users face swift legal action, including arrests, those who make derogatory remarks against Hindus, Hinduism, or Hindu deities—whether DMK leaders, minority religious figures, or certain YouTubers—are allowed to operate with impunity despite multiple complaints.
This selective enforcement, they argue, reflects a deep political bias and amounts to vendetta-driven governance that suppresses free expression and dissent. The opposition warns that such stifling of democratic voices not only undermines public trust but also sets a dangerous precedent in a democratic setup.
