Coimbatore : A senior functionary of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhakam (DVK), a fringe outfit, was arrested Saturday on charges of attempting to provoke religious rift by his controversial post in social media about beef-eating.

DVK secretary Nirmala Kumar had in a post in Facebook on July 12 challenged Hindu Makkal Katchi president, Arjun Sampath to beat him for eating beef, as was done to a person in Nagapatinam for the post of having beef soup.

“I am in Coimbatore in your own town. Posting the beef-eating picture repeatedly for you. If you have guts come. Will you kill beefeater you Hindu fanatic,” he posted, police said.

Based on the post, a person called Mani lodged a complaint with Kattoor police, who summoned Nirmal Kumar on Saturday and registered a case under IPC Sec 505 (statement conducting public mischief) and arrested him for attempting to provoke religious rift, they said.

He was produced before a court and remanded till August 9.