Dharapuram/Chennai: In connection with various incidents, including the road blockade and the siege of the police station that took place in Dharapuram during the Chief Minister’s campaign tour, a special police team has arrested 8 people, including Karthika, who contested on behalf of the Naam Tamilar Katchi.
During the by-election in the Dharapuram constituency of Tiruppur district, Chief Minister Vijay carried out his second phase of campaigning on the 4th. At that time, protesting the police removal of Nadhag’s flex banners that had been placed along the route taken by the Chief Minister, Nadhag candidate and state women’s wing secretary Karthika, along with party functionaries, staged a road blockade. They also laid siege to the Dharapuram police station.
Based on complaints related to this, the police registered a case against 11 people, including Karthika and her husband Muruga Kumaravel.
In this situation, police yesterday arrested Karthika, who was at her home in Coimbatore, and her husband Murugakumaravel. In addition, eight people, including administrators Isai Mativanan from Tenkasi, Sanjay Gandhi, Moolanur Kanthasamy, Sheikh Fareeth, Surya, and Gokul, were arrested at different locations. Police said cases have been registered against them under five sections.
Police took Karthika, who was arrested in Coimbatore, to the Dharapuram Government Hospital for a medical examination. Speaking to reporters then, Karthika said, “The police arrested me and my husband at 5 a.m. while we were sleeping at home in our night clothes. They did not even tell us why we were being arrested,” she said.
Leaders condemn
Leaders have condemned the arrest of Naam Tamilar Katchi members.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin: The arrest and harassment of Nadhaga functionaries for questioning the abuse of power in the by-election exposes the narrow-mindedness of the TVK government. This action has been taken with the intention of diverting attention from the incident in which a TVK functionary was arrested in a drug smuggling case.
Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman: In a situation where law and order has collapsed across the state, the arrest of NTK functionaries by fabricating false cases exposes the low-level politics of the TVK government. During the time when you trembled in fear of former Chief Ministers Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, we were the ones who stood against them and engaged in politics and struggle. The day this regime and this power fall is not far away.
PMK leader Anbumani, DMDK general secretary Premalatha, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, Assembly Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi, DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi, and SDPI state in-charge Umar Farooq, among others, have also expressed condemnation.
