Mon May 19 14:10:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**BJP Official Arrested for Alleged Attack on Eatery Owner Over Periyar Portrait**
**Tiruchi, India – May 19, 2025** – A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) official was arrested and remanded in Tiruchi on suspicion of attempting to murder the owner of a local eatery, police confirmed today.
A. Sairam, also known as Sekar, 58, a BJP secretary for the Palakkarai zone, is accused of assaulting B. Selvakumar, 61, the proprietor of the eatery near Khajapettai bus stand, on the night of May 16. According to police reports, the incident stemmed from a dispute over a portrait of Periyar, a prominent social reformer, displayed in Selvakumar’s establishment.
Sairam allegedly verbally abused Selvakumar and then struck him on the head with a hotbox, causing injuries. Selvakumar was subsequently hospitalized at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital.
The Palakkarai police registered a case on May 17, based on Selvakumar’s complaint, invoking Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), equivalent to attempted murder, alongside other charges.
The incident has sparked controversy, raising questions about political tensions and freedom of expression in the region. The BJP has yet to release an official statement regarding the arrest.
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