NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Friday launched a sharp attack on chief minister MK Stalin‘s government over the handling of Anna University sexual assault case.
He alleged that under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regime, history-sheeters and sexual offenders are shielded as party functionaries, while BJP leaders in state, face harassment for raising their voices for justice.
In a post on X, Annamalai said, “Under this DMK Govt in TN, history sheeters & sexual offenders roam freely under the disguise of being a DMK Functionary, but BJP Tamil Nadu functionaries are being constantly harassed for being the voice of the people.”
Annamalai also claimed that BJP Mahila Morcha functionaries in Tamil Nadu were detained or placed under house arrest across various districts on Friday to stop them from participating in a rally in Madurai.
The protest aimed to demand justice for a student who was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus in Chennai.
“Tamil Nadu BJP Mahila Morcha functionaries were either arrested or kept under house arrest across various districts today to prevent them from participating in the rally in Madurai to seek justice for the female student who was sexually assaulted by a DMK functionary,” he wrote.
In his attack, Annamalai accused the DMK government of protecting criminals and suppressing dissent. “Why is the DMK government so afraid of being exposed for protecting criminals that it resorts to silencing those who seek justice? Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalim should be ashamed for curbing freedom of expression & his autocratic behavior,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the BJP’s women’s wing staged a protest against the DMK government, leading a “Justice Rally” from Madurai to Chennai. However, the rally was halted, and the participants were detained by the police.
The incident that sparked the protests took place on December 23 night, when a second-year student was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus. Chennai Police confirmed that one person has been arrested in connection with the case.
