The Tamil Nadu police have arrested a BJP functionary for forcibly dangling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's portrait in the panchayat police. The Coimbatore district police department has registered a case against the functionary and eleven others under the grounds of criminal intimidation and trespassing. The case was filed based on a complaint that was moved by the panchayat officials. 

According to reports, the incident has happened on Saturday - January 22 at the Town Panchayat Office in Pooluvapatti in Coimbatore. BJP trade union district secretary M Bhaskaran (39) and his associates had entered the office on Saturday and forcibly handed the portrait of Prime Minister Modi in the office. The incident was recorded by the BJP cadres and the visuals were shared on social media. 

In a video, Bhaskaran can be heard saying that he has been asking the Panchayat office several times to dangle the portrait of the Prime Minister. However, as it was not done, the BJP cadres had decided to put up the portrait of Modi by themselves. They made a framed image of the Prime Minister and entered the Panchayat office with a hammer and nails to hang the image. 

After seeing their influx into the office to hang the Prime Minister's photo, Executive Officer Rangasamy and other officials in the Panchayat office had questioned their actions and said they need permission to hang the portrait. However, Bhaskaran had argued with the officials on why the office had late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's portrait. Rangasamy has then responded that Modi's photo can be dangled but it must be done with proper permission. 

Bhaskaran says that the BJP had kept multiple demands to hang Modi's portrait in the panchayat office. However, it was not fulfilled and he added that as an Indian citizen and former local councillor, he and his BJP associates had decided to dangle Modi's portrait by themselves. Bhaskaran was heard asking the officials, "Why should we not hang the photo of our Prime Minister? Are you from Pakistan? Or from Afghanistan? What is the problem in hanging the Indian Prime Minister's photo?"

According to the police, the members of the BJP had questioned why Prime Minister Modi's portrait cannot be hung inside the office when former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Chief Minister MK Stalin's photographs are hung. After they created the ruckus, Executive Officer Rangasamy has lodged a complaint against Bhaskaran and other BJP workers with the Coimbatore police. Based on the complaint, an FIR against the BJP cadres was booked by the Alandurai police station in Coimbatore.

The FIR was registered under sections 448- punishment for house-trespass, 353 - assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, 506(i) - punishment for criminal intimidation of the Indian Penal Code. The police had launched a probe into the incident and while eleven other BJP workers are yet to be arrested, the cops have on Sunday arrested BJP functionary Bhaskaran and sent him to remand for fifteen days.