Cartoonist Bala found his name in the police records yet again on 28 November, after an FIR was registered against him for his caricature of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami.
The Chennai Police FIR has also noted the names of Press Club office bearers for "erecting banners and causing inconvenience for the public" during the agitation against the arrest of Bala earlier this month. The agitating sleuths used a giant banner of Bala's controversial cartoon to protest his arrest.
This is the second complaint against the cartoonist. Bala was arrested from his residence in Chennai on 5 November, by the Tirunelveli police following a complaint by the Tirunelveli district Collector Sandeep Nandhudri. He was granted bail a day later.
The cartoon that had the administration fuming shows a naked Nellai Police Commissioner, the Collector and the TN Chief Minister trying to cover themselves up with wads of cash, as they close their eyes to a child's burning body. The complaint filed against Bala states that the cartoon is 'derogatory' and 'defamatory'.
The arrest drew criticism from various quarters with activists and journalists. Bala has said that he will continue drawing cartoons to highlight the failures of the government. Addressing a press conference after his release, he had said:
I am also a journalist. I did not commit murder. I don’t regret this cartoon. I will continue to highlight the inefficiency of the government through my cartoon. I will continue to draw cartoons. I will not stop. From Modi to EPS, I will highlight the failures of the government.Bala
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