Bail plea rejected; DMK MLA arrested for remarks against CM Vijay

Former Minister and incumbent DMK MLA Anita Radhakrishnan has been arrested in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on Friday(3rd July). The case pertains to allegedly objectionable remarks that the legislator had made against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, while speaking at a public event last month. The MLA was arrested when he was undertaking inspection activities at the constituency. DMK cadre present at the site objected to the arrest and raised slogans against the TVK Government led by Chief Minister Vijay.

Speaking at DMK event on June 20th, Radhakrishnan is said to have made objectionable statements against Chief Minister Vijay, commenting about his cinema career that preceded his political foray. Radhakrishnan is said to have likened Chief Minister Vijay's plight in the Legislative Assembly to that of a person who feels trapped. A case was registered against the MLA for these remarks. Fearing arrest, the MLA had approached the court for anticipatory bail.

During the hearing of the bail plea, the judge pointed out that Tamil Nadu has had film stars entering politics since the late 1960s, and that people had elected such leaders. The judge remarked that the MLA should have avoided such remarks and shown respect to the Chief Minister.

Slamming the arrest of their party MLA, DMK Chief and former Chief Minister MK Stalin alleged this was a diversionary tactic of the Vijay Government. "What was the urgency to arrest someone who was undertaking a review in the constituency ? Chief Minister Vijay is running a cinema-style Police state," said Stalin. If arrests were to be made for defamation, how many incumbent Ministers would have to be arrested, Stalin queried.

"The Chief Minister thinks that he can save his chair by inducting opposition MLAs via horse-trading, and doing nothing for the people. He thinks he can while away time by arresting oppositon leaders that raise criticism," Stalin said. Kanimozhi, the DMK Parliamentarian from Thoothukudi had also criticized the arrest of the MLA, saying that the DMK would not submit to such oppresstion tactics.