The DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu has been accused of targeting BJP members, senior functionaries, and social media influencers without apparent valid reasons. BJP’s Tamil Nadu party President, K Annamalai, and vice president Narayanan Tirupathi have criticised the Tamil Nadu police for their actions, claiming they are acting in line with DMK’s political vendetta and intimidation tactics. Annamalai emphasised that the police appear to focus more on arresting individuals for social media posts critical of the government, its leaders, and policies than addressing real issues such as crimes against women, land grabbing, and extortion.
In a recent incident, a heavy police presence was deployed to remove a BJP party flagpole in front of K. Annamalai’s residence, alleging that it was installed without proper approval, despite an RTI query indicating no such requirement. The police also cited opposition from local Muslims as a reason for their actions. Subsequently, several BJP members, including the state president of the sports and skill development cell, Amar Prasad Reddy, were arrested for protesting against the removal of the party flagpole and alleged damage to public property. The incident led to a strong response from the BJP, with the promise to install 10,000 flagpoles across the state in the coming months.
Police Action Against Social Media Posts
The police have also been accused of taking action against individuals for their comments on social media. For instance, John Ravi, also known as John Ravindranath, was allegedly arrested for comments related to Udhayanidhi and Periyar. Another incident involved the arrest of a youth-wing state president, Ramesh Shiva. These arrests have drawn criticism from the BJP and have been characterised as arbitrary and politically motivated.
BJP’s Response: Delegation to Investigate
In response to these ongoing arrests, BJP National President J.P. Nadda has formed a four-member team of senior leaders to investigate the situation and submit a report to the party headquarters. The delegation is led by former Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and includes MP Satya Pal Singh, BJP Andhra Pradesh state president D. Purendeswari, and MP P.C. Mohan.
BJP leaders, including K. Annamalai, have accused the DMK government of displaying authoritarian tendencies since coming to power in May 2021. They argue that the DMK has targeted the BJP’s social media functionaries with frivolous charges and imposed exaggerated sections. The BJP also claims that most cases are filed by local DMK functionaries, and the police are pressured to make arrests to satisfy the ego of DMK ministers. The timing of arrests, often occurring at midnight or early morning, and the application of new charges while bail is pending have been criticised as part of the DMK government’s tactics.
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K Annamalai expressed confidence that the delegation would expose the government’s excesses and the misuse of power by the DMK over the last 30 months. The BJP’s criticism centres on the DMK’s selective arrests, particularly those of individuals popular in social and mainstream media, while allegedly ignoring genuine complaints filed by the BJP in Tamil Nadu. The party expects the delegation to shed light on these issues and hold the DMK government accountable for its actions.
