DMK legislator held for remarks against Vijay

Senior DMK leader and former minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan was arrested on Friday for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay during a public meeting.

The Tiruchendur MLA was arrested after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Dismissing the application, Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan said people had elected Vijay as the CM and, therefore, he had to be respected. He said the petitioner, Radhakrishnan, was not a layman but an MLA.

“Whoever may be, you have to respect the CM. The state of Tamil Nadu, from 1967, has been ruled by people from the film industry. All the CMs (are from this industry). Then why (you are making) these kinds of speeches?” he asked.

Senior counsel NR Elango, representing the former minister, submitted that the police had registered an FIR against him for intentional provocation to breach peace and public mischief.

Radhakrishnan was escorted to the Thoothukudi SP’s office for questioning. He was inspecting records at the Authoor town panchayat when a police team led by Inspector Rhennis apprehended him in connection with the case.

An FIR was registered against the DMK leader on June 23 for allegedly making defamatory and provocative remarks against Vijay while addressing a public meeting in Authoor on June 20.

The complaint was lodged by S Selvam, Urban Secretary of the TVK in Authoor.

While being escorted to the waiting police vehicle, the former minister alleged that he was asked to resign as MLA, and join the ruling TVK by those who interrogated him. “I will always be a DMK man, and will never leave my party,” he told the reporters.

DMK president MK Stalin, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi condemned Radhakrishnan’s arrest, calling it “height of high-handedness”.

“The ‘Take Diversion’ government has arrested former minister Anitha Radhakrishnan for defaming the Chief Minister. The CM is running a police state in the style of an action movie!” Stalin remarked.

He also questioned why the TVK government had not yet taken any action on the complaint lodged by a gang rape victim against the Srivaikundam TVK MLA.

Kanimozhi said, “The TVK government has arrested an opposition MLA while he was on inspection duty in his constituency in an arbitrary manner. The DMK will never succumb to such oppression.”

Meanwhile, DMK cadres led by Thoothukkudi Corporation Mayor Jegan Periyasamy protested outside the SP’s office. Another group staged a road blockade in Authoor and entered into a verbal duel with the police personnel.