Chennai, Jun 18 (IANS): Congress' Tamil Nadu unit President K.S. Alagiri on Sunday defended the arrest of state BJP leader S.J. Suryah for defaming Madurai MP Su Venkitesan and questioned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for supporting him. Suryah.

People in BJP consider posting defamatory posts and tweets are a part of their party work, he said, adding: "Union Finance Minister is condemning the arrest of someone who posts nasty tweets. I condemn this".

Alagiri was addressing media persons after the commemorative speech on the 116th birth anniversary of former minister and Congress leader P. Kakkan at the State Congress headquarters Sathyamurthi Bhavan here.

Asked about the arrest of Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji, he said that there was no need to arrest the minister past midnight as he is not a "traitor".

He said that law enforcement agencies can arrest any person who speaks against India's sovereignty or who has joined the rank of enemies and those who smuggles arms and are terrorists can also be arrested past midnight without notice.

However, he questioned the wisdom of arresting an elected representative like Senthil Balaji during midnight after questioning him for 18 hours and without allowing him access to his lawyer.

He asked whether Balaji was a traitor or an anti-national?

The Congress leader also asked why the BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was not arrested even after top women wrestlers of the country had alleged sexual misconduct against him.

He said that while the BJP MP was given protection, a non-BJP people's representative was treated like a "dog" and the Congress opposes such a differentiation strongly.

He also lashed out against Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi for opposing the recommendation of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to reallocate the portfolios of Senthil Balaji, recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as Gujarat Chief Minister, had retained Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as a minister in the state, after his arrest.