Popular YouTuber ‘Sattai’ Duraimurugan, a senior functionary of the Tamil nationalist ‘Naam Tamilar Party’ was arrested Thursday on the charge of making derogatory statements against the DMK government and late Dravidian patriarch M Karunanidhi.

The Cyber Crime Police of Trichy district arrested him from the tourist resort Courtrallam, famed for its waterfalls in Tenkasi district. The arrest by a special team followed a case registered against him on a compliant that he had made the defamatory remarks during the campaign for the Vikravandi bypoll in support of the party candidate K Abinaya.

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In his campaign speeches, he had made the alleged controversial remarks on the state government and Karunanidhi. He is being brought to Trichy for further questioning, police said.

Earlier, in 2021 he was arrested by the Thanjavur police on the charge of spreading derogatory remarks, linking Karunanidhi with actor Khushbu, when she was with the DMK. The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court granted him bail in that case on the condition that he should refrain from making defamatory remarks on anyone in the future. But, he was arrested shortly for his speech against Chief Minister MK Stalin at a protest in Kanniyakumari. In this case also, he had secured bail.

His youtube channel, ‘Sattai’ (meaning whip) which is highly popular and has exposed the free flow of illicit liquor in Kallakurichi months before the hooch tragedy struck the state, claiming 66 lives. It was also referred to by the Judges hearing a plea for the CBI probe into the tragedy.

Reacting to the arrest of his trusted lieutenant, NTK chief coordinator Seeman fumed that he too would make the same remarks. In fact, Duraimurugan has only repeated a song, a parody on Karunanidhi’s famed protest on the railway tracks at Kallakudi, demanding renaming of Dalmiapuram as Kallakudi.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Seeman said, “What is wrong with his speech? I will speak the same let the police arrest me,” he dared adding “Thambi (brother) Duriamurugan has not gone to Courtrallam. He had gone for the temple festival next week in his native village nearby.” Further, he charged the government with arresting people who speak but not those engaged in the sale of killer brew.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the NTK, espousing populist Tamil nationalism, has secured 8.2 per cent votes and received the recognition of the Election Commission of India.