Appointment of Dalit judge during Karunanidhi’s tenure is alms to Dalits by the Dravidian movement, DMK Rajya Sabha member RS Bharathi

Law finally caught up with DMK Rajya Sabha member Alandur RS Bharathi for his disparaging comments made against Dalits few months ago. In an internal party meeting held in February last, Bharathi had said a particular judge from Dalit community was appointed in the Higher judiciary during Karunanidhi’s rule and Dalits coming to such top positions was possible due to the “alms given by the Dravidian movement”. In the meeting he also called Brahmins “as dogs” and compared woman journalists working in television channels to women in “red light areas”. He also said that “North Indians have no brains”.

Outraged by his comments, Aadhi Tamilar Makkal Katchi leadcer Kalaynasundram lodged a complaint saying it amounted to insulting judges and those belonging to SC community. Based on his complaint, police arrested Bharathi at his residence on 23rd May. DMK described it as a ploy of ruling AIADMK to divert attentions from corruption and the government’s failure to handle the Covid19 situation. Bharathi said he was being targeted for exposing corruption in the AIADMK government.

Within few hours of his arrest, the principal Sessions judge in Egmore granted him judicial custody till June 5. However he granted interim bail to Bharati till May 31 in view of prevailing Corona situation. He should surrender on 1st June. Bharathi said he might have used infelicitous language but that does not call for filing an FIR.

Fearing they might be next in line, DMK MPs Dayanidhi Maran and TR Baalu moved High Court seeking anticipatory bail in other SC/ST cases. After meeting TN Chief Secretary, they both had told media that despite being MPs, Chief Secretary treated them as third rate citizens like those from the downtrodden community (Dalits). Complaints have been filed all over Tamil Nadu against Dayanidhi Maran and TR Baalu over these assertions.

The National Commission for Scheduled Caste had recently issued notice to TN government asking for an action taken report against Dayanidhi Maran for his comments. Meanwhile, after hearing their anticipatory bail petitions, Justice M Nirmal Kumar has restrained the police from taking coercive steps against Maran and Baalu till May 29.

Advocate Kutralanathan said “Both Maran and Baalu were given anticipatory bail only in two cases that were filed against them. It would not be applicable if new cases are filed elsewhere in the state.” Kutralanathan pointed out “At a time when huge volume of cases are pending, anticipatory bail petition filed in the morning was disposed of the evening in a record speed. During the lockdown period, no other petitions were heard. No other anticipatory bail petition filed in the morning were given relief by same day evening, that too on a Saturday. Why this haste and to protect whom? Why different yardstick for different people? It forces people to think that higher judiciary too is controlled by DMK?”, says the senior advocate.

DMK IT wing in charge Palanivel Thyagarajan had also made disparaging comments on Barbers in a recent TV debate which received brickbats from many quarters.