Coimbatore, Oct 21:
Annamalai, founder of We The Leaders, has accused the Tamil Nadu police of acting at the behest of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), questioning the arrest of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) functionary M Karthika in connection with a protest during Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s roadshow in Dharapuram.
Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore on Tuesday, Annamalai said the police could have summoned Karthika to a police station instead of travelling from Dharapuram to Coimbatore to arrest her. He argued that the timing of the arrest, nearly 20 days after the incidents in question, raised concerns about the government’s intentions. Karthika, who contested the Dharapuram Assembly by-election, was arrested along with her husband and other NTK functionaries in connection with cases registered during the election campaign.
Annamalai accused the TVK government of repeating mistakes made by the previous DMK regime and urged Vijay to take stringent action against ruling party functionaries allegedly linked to drug trafficking. He also criticised the government’s monsoon preparedness, arguing that sufficient measures should have been taken ahead of the northeast monsoon. On the political front, he said We The Leaders favoured contesting the forthcoming local body elections independently, presenting itself as a movement rather than necessarily contesting under a political party’s name. He also called for a ban on social media use by children below 18, citing concerns about its impact on young people. His allegations over police conduct and the ruling party’s response to crime add to the growing political controversy surrounding the recent arrests.