A 28-year-old student studying in Canada was arrested in Tuticorin and sent to judicial custody for 15 days after she shouted “fascist BJP government down down” in a flight in which the Tamil Nadu party chief Tamilisai Soundararjan was also travelling. A court in Thoothukudi district granted her bail on Monday.
Lois Sofia was returning home from Canada when she was arrested in Tuticorin following a complaint lodged by the BJP leader with the airport police. Her lawyer said that she was later taken to the hospital when she complained of stomach ache.
Sofia’s father, who along with his wife had joined their daughter from Chennai narrated the incident while talking to The Indian Express. “After we landed at Tuticorin, she (Sofia) saw the BJP leader and said ‘fascist BJP government down, down’. She didn’t utter a word other than that. But when we reached the terminal, Tamilisai and some 10 men who received her at the airport surrounded us and bullied my daughter with abusive words. They issued death threats. Finally, the airport police came to our help and secured us in a room.”
“When I was coming out after the flight landed, she saw me and suddenly shouted ‘down with fascist BJP government’. When I turned to her, she repeated it. Seeing a very young girl sitting with her parents, I thought I will ignore it. But she repeated it, again and again, when I was coming out of the aircraft. She was also passing some comments at me,” Tamilisai said. She added that anyone who uses the word ‘fascist’ was never an innocent person. She also said that she lodged a complaint when she felt that a “terrorist” should not be spared.
The BJP leader has come under heavy criticism on Twitter due to her behaviour.
Pa. Renjith, director of movies like Kaala and Kabali tweeted,
ஜனநாயகத்தின் குரல் #sophia #தமிழகஅரசே_விடுதலைசெய் #பாசிசபாஜக_ஆட்சிஓழிக pic.twitter.com/CgGFwT7dVH
— pa.ranjith (@beemji) September 4, 2018
நானும் சொல்கிறேன் !
“பா.ஜ.க வின் பாசிச ஆட்சி ஒழிக! “#FacsistBJP #பாசிசபாஜகஆட்சிஒழிக https://t.co/a8KD0GbKZ1— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) September 3, 2018
Actor Kasthuri Sankar also tweeted
"We are not Fascist. Infact, we are so not fascist, that we will arrest anybody who calls us Fascist." ?♀️?♀️#BJP #Sophia #ThoothukudiAirport #FascistBJPdownDown #SophiaLois#சோபியா pic.twitter.com/L74pJ1lAe7
— Kasturi Shankar (@KasthuriShankar) September 4, 2018
Singer Chinmayi Sripada pointed out certain irregularities in the story.
People pass random comments on someone's mental health. That is the sole business of a medical practitioner who may come to a conclusion after proper medical assessments. Poravan varravanellam "mental", "instable" nu solradhu ku urimai illa.
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) September 4, 2018
One of the videos has the lady saying "While I was taking my bag she shouted slogans". So this must have been around the baggage carousel. No clarity if Sophia sloganeered inside the aircraft – for everyone sharing the rulebook on inflight behaviour.
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) September 4, 2018
பொது இடங்களில் குரல் எழுப்புவதும்,விமர்சிப்பதும் குற்றமெனில் அத்தனை அரசியல்வாதிகளும் கைது செய்யப் படவேண்டிய குற்றவாளிகளே. சுதந்திரப்பறவை சோபியாவை சிறையிலிருந்து பெயிலில் எடுக்கிறோம்.அரசியல்வாதிகள் ஏன் வெளியே திரிகிறார்கள்?
நானும் அரசியல்வாதிதான் என்பதை உணர்ந்தே சொல்கிறேன்.— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) September 4, 2018
Meanwhile, Soundararajan said she was surprised to find so many people siding with a passenger who behaved unruly on a flight.
Surprised to see reactions of few TN leaders insupport of her unruly behavior inside aircraft claiming it as Democratic right.Will they accept a similar situation happens for them during their next air journey inside plane will they or their cadres keep quiet as Democratic right?
— Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (@DrTamilisaiBJP) September 3, 2018
