Visuals from the protest rally (Photo: X)
In a significant demonstration demanding justice for the alleged sexual assault of a second-year engineering student at Anna University, Tamil Nadu BJP Mahila Morcha leaders and cadres attempted to organise a rally from Madurai to Chennai on January 3. The rally, termed the “Justice Rally,” was intended to culminate in a memorandum submission to the Tamil Nadu Governor, urging swift action against the accused. However, the Tamil Nadu police intervened, preventing key BJP women functionaries from leaving their homes by deploying personnel in large numbers outside their residences—a move perceived as “house arrest” by BJP leaders.
The rally was spearheaded by prominent figures, including actor-turned-politician and BJP national executive member Khushbu Sundar, Tamil Nadu BJP Mahila Morcha president Uma Rathi, and Modakurichi MLA C.K. Saraswathi. The demonstrators symbolically carried anklets to evoke the legendary Silapathikaram heroine Kannagi, who sought justice from the Pandian king. The rally garnered enthusiastic support from women across party lines, who expressed solidarity with the survivor and condemned the state government’s inaction.
Despite preventive measures by the police, participants assembled in Madurai to stage their protest. However, the rally faced abrupt disruption when the police detained the protestors, including Khushbu Sundar and other prominent leaders, and confined them in a marriage hall in Madurai. BJP leaders alleged that the conditions in the hall were humiliating, with part of the venue occupied by goats and an unbearable stench pervading the premises.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai strongly condemned the arrests, accusing the ruling DMK government of suppressing dissent. Taking to social media platform X, he stated, “Under this DMK Govt in TN, history sheeters & sexual offenders roam freely under the disguise of being a DMK Functionary, but @BJP4TamilNadu functionaries are being constantly harassed for being the voice of the people.” He further criticised the government, questioning its fear of exposure for allegedly shielding criminals, and called for the immediate release of the detained BJP leaders.
BJP national organising general secretary B.L. Santhosh echoed the criticism, labeling the DMK government’s actions as “draconian” and anti-democratic. “This is the situation in Tamil Nadu under @arivalayam, the so-called saviors of Constitution & Democracy,” he wrote on X. Dr. Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, BJP national co-in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, also condemned the DMK’s actions, calling them oppressive and autocratic. He demanded that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin take moral responsibility for the incident and transfer the case to the CBI or appoint a sitting judge for an impartial inquiry.
The rally was organised in response to the shocking incident that occurred on December 23, when the Anna University student was sexually assaulted on campus while with her friend. The accused, allegedly linked to the DMK, remains at large, fueling widespread outrage over the state government’s handling of the case.
The detained women leaders were released later in the day, but the episode has sparked a nationwide debate over women’s safety, government accountability, and the suppression of dissent in Tamil Nadu.
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