DMK MLA Anitha R Radhakrishnan was arrested on Friday for making objectionable comments against the chief minister C Joseph Vijay during a public meeting last month, police said.
According to police, the comments were made at a public meeting on June 20 in Athoor, Tuticorin district, following which the local police booked him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including 352 (with intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace) and BNS Section 353 (2) which penalises making, publishing or circulating false information, rumours intended to promote feelings of enmity, hatred.
“They pressured me to resign from the Member of Legislative Assembly position so that I could join the TVK. However, I did not agree to that,” Radhakrishnan told reporters while being taken to the police station.
He said, “Under no circumstances will I back down. I stand firmly with the DMK following the path of my leader (M K Stalin) and will not bow down to anyone.”
Meanwhile, minister for energy resources and law, R Nirmal Kumar defended the arrest stating any common man would not accept such a speech that was made by Radhakrishnan.
Talking to reporters, Kumar said, “Radhakrishnan has spoken beyond his limits and now no common person will agree to his comment. Towards the chief minister, he has made filthy comments about his family, any common person will not accept that speech. Definitely legal action will be taken. He, being a MLA, how this person is talking like this.”
The arrest of the DMK lawmaker, triggered sharp comments from DMK chief M K Stalin who raised questions on what was the pressing necessity to hurriedly arrest someone who was actively engaged in public service?
{{/usCountry}}The arrest of the DMK lawmaker, triggered sharp comments from DMK chief M K Stalin who raised questions on what was the pressing necessity to hurriedly arrest someone who was actively engaged in public service?
{{/usCountry}}“The ‘Take Diversion’ government has arrested former minister Anitha Radhakrishnan on the grounds that he spoke slanderously about the chief minister. The chief minister is operating the police department in a cinematic action style,” Stalin wrote in his official social media account.
He further said, “If arrests are to be made in defamation cases, how many people should be arrested for the kinds of speeches made by the current ministers?”
“Without doing any good for the people who voted for him, the chief minister thinks he can while away his time by retaining his chair through horse-trading and arresting the opposition parties that criticize him. Arrogance leads to ruin!”, Stalin remarked.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said arresting Radhakrishnan is the right thing to do.
Responding to the comments of Stalin, Thirupathy said, “Stalin, who is now condemning the arrest of a person who spoke in a highly derogatory manner about the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister without even an ounce of responsibility, shame, or self-respect — have you forgotten how, during your own rule, you could not tolerate even the slightest of criticism?
In a social media post on Friday, he said, “You (Stalin) spent your days making one arrest after another and taking fresh action every single day. Don’t you remember how you harassed and tortured BJP workers and functionaries?
“Have you forgotten the joy you felt when you locked up critics like Savukku Shankar @SavukkuOfficial and many others under the Goondas Act?, Thirupathy asked.
“Arresting Anita Radhakrishnan is absolutely the right thing to do! Haven’t you realised yet that it is your own arrogance that is destroying the DMK”, he alleged.