Chennai, July 3 (). Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Tamil Nadu government. The party has fielded former minister and DMK leader Anita R. Radhakrishnan’s arrest accused the government of targeting political opponents and said that the government is ignoring serious issues related to law and order.
Radhakrishnan was arrested after the Madras High Court refused him anticipatory bail. He is accused of making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Joseph C. Vijay.
The case pertains to a public meeting held on June 20 at Authur in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu. It is alleged that the DMK leader there had made fun of Vijay’s entry into politics from the film world and his behavior in the Assembly.
Condemning the arrest, former Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin alleged that the government was using the police machinery to suppress the opposition.
Questioning the timing of his arrest, he said that Radhakrishnan was doing inspection work in his assembly constituency when he was detained.
Posting on Twitter, Stalin said, “Why was there such a hurry to arrest a person who was engaged in public service and inspection work in his area? The Chief Minister is running police rule in film style.”
The DMK chief also accused the government of taking selective action. He said that the government did not show such promptness in serious matters like the gang rape allegations against a TVK MLA and the increasing crimes against women in the state.
DMK leader and Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi also criticized the arrest, calling it an act of political intimidation.
“I strongly condemn the arrest of former minister and DMK’s Tuticorin South District Secretary Thiru A.R. Radhakrishnan. An opposition MLA who was carrying out inspection work in his constituency has been arrested in a completely undemocratic manner. DMK will never bow down to such repressive methods,” she wrote on Twitter.
DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin also criticized the ruling TVK government. He alleged that the government is quick in taking action against opposition leaders, but does not pay attention to the deteriorating law and order in Tamil Nadu.
Posting on Twitter, he described the government as a “sofa model” and a “reels government” and alleged that the government was acting out of political vendetta instead of providing good governance.
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