Actor Kasturi was arrested in Hyderabad for making “anti-Telugu” remarks.

Actress Kasturi was arrested in Hyderabad by the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) on Saturday, November 16, for making derogatory remarks against Telugu people living in Tamil Nadu. A First Information Report (FIR) was earlier filed against Kasturi on November 5 at the Egmore F2 police station in Chennai.

At a rally against “persecution of Brahmins” held in Chennai on November 3, Kasturi, who calls himself a Hindu right-wing activist, said the Brahmin community was facing threats because of Dravidian ideology. Without naming Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders, she alleged that Telugu-speaking women who came to Tamil Nadu as “concubines” of kings claim to be Tamils ​​and attack Brahmins as “invaders”. She also claimed that the Tamil film industry did not give her opportunities because she is a Brahmin. She continued to deny historical caste oppression and also claimed attempts at “Brahmin genocide”.

She came under Sections 192 (provoked provocation with intent to cause disturbance), 196(1)(a) (inciting enmity between different groups based on religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community), 353(1) (b) (criminal intimidation) and 353(2) (criminal intimidation) Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) by Egmore F2 Police in Chennai.

After widespread backlash, Kasthuri retracted her statement and said she had only mentioned a section of DMK people while addressing a rally in Chennai.

After that, the actor approached the court, demanding anticipatory bail. However, the Madurai Division of the Madras High Court (HC) on November 14. Justice Anand Venkatesh, presiding over the single-judge bench, said Kasturi’s apology seemed to justify her statements rather than regret them.

“The petitioner’s comments were superfluous. How can a person who claims to be educated and socially responsible say such things? Won’t this create unnecessary problems among those who watch the video of the performance? Her statement of apology does not show that she realized this. She seems to be just justifying what she said,” Justice Anand Venkatesh observed.