Ex-minister’s arrest bid to silence oppn: Stalin

Chennai, July 4:

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday strongly condemned the arrest of former minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan in connection with a defamation case over alleged remarks against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, accusing the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of targeting Opposition leaders.

In a statement, Stalin questioned the necessity of the arrest, stating that Radhakrishnan had been actively engaged in constituency development and review works when police took action against him. He termed the move “unwarranted” and indicative of political motives.

Raising concerns over what he described as selective action by the government, Stalin pointed to the alleged sexual assault case in Srivaikundam involving an MLA. He questioned why authorities had not demonstrated similar urgency in that case.

“Why was such haste shown in a defamation case, while there has been no comparable urgency in the Srivaikundam sexual assault case?” Stalin asked.

The DMK leader also criticised the government’s approach to handling defamation allegations, arguing that if arrests were to be made on such grounds, several members of the ruling establishment would also face action.

“If defamation leads to arrests, then how many individuals would have to be detained for the speeches delivered by ministers of the ruling government?” he said.

Alleging a broader pattern of suppressing dissent, Stalin accused the TVK government of attempting to silence Opposition voices. He further charged that the Chief Minister was seeking to retain power through “horse-trading” and by targeting political rivals.

“Such arrogance will ultimately lead to the downfall of the government,” Stalin added.Let me know if you want a more aggressive headline or a shorter breaking-news version.