TN: Woman arrested over anti-BJP slogan at airport

Chennai, Sep 4: A woman was arrested on Tuesday for shouting slogans against the BJP in front of the party's state president, Tamilisai Soundararajan, triggering a political war.

28-Year-Old Lois Sofia, an Indian research scholar in Canada, and Soundararajan were coming to Tuticorin in the same flight. Sofia raised the slogan in the plane when the BJP leader, a co-passenger seated in the front row, came near Sofia to take her bag.

Sofia allegedly raised the slogan: "Down with Modi - BJP - RSS fascist government". She was arrested after the plane landed in Tuticorin and the BJP leader filed a police complaint.

Soundarrajan told reporters Sophia "had no right" to raise such slogans inside a flight and in front of co-passengers. She said she had suspicions about Sophia's background.

Sophia's father has come in her defence and said that she said "Fascist BJP down down" and moved away. It was, however, Soundarrajan and her supporters who rounded them up, he has alleged.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed DMK chief MK Stalin has condemned the arrest of Sophia. In a tweet, he has accused the Tamil Nadu government for failing to protect a citizen's freedom of speech. "Sophia should be immediately released. You will have to arrest lakhs of people who raise slogans like this. I will also raise the slogan. "BJP fascist govt down down"," Stalin said on Twitter.