AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into the shocking sexual assault of a female student on the Anna University campus, accusing the DMK government of failing to maintain law and order. He asserted that the police under the DMK regime lacked credibility to handle the sensitive case and called for justice without political interference.
EPS alleged that despite Law Minister S Regupathy denying any link between the accused, Gnanasekaran, and the DMK, evidence circulating on social media suggests otherwise. He also questioned the rationale behind making the FIR public, exposing the victim’s personal details, which violates her privacy and dignity.
Expressing concern for the survivor’s safety, Palaniswami demanded full protection and announced that AIADMK cadres would hold demonstrations at district headquarters on Friday to protest against the DMK’s alleged failure to safeguard women and enforce law and order.
Adding to the political storm, senior leaders of AIADMK and BJP were detained by Chennai police while attempting to stage protests condemning the incident. AIADMK leaders, including former organizing secretary D Jayakumar, were detained near Anna University after heated arguments with police personnel. They were later released.
Similarly, BJP senior leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan, tried to stage a demonstration near Valluvar Kottam, raising slogans against the DMK government. They, too, were detained and released in the evening. BJP state president K Annamalai formed an eight-member committee led by Soundararajan to organize district-wide protests on Friday, citing the alleged “deterioration” of law and order under the DMK regime.
Palaniswami, in a strong-worded post on his X handle, raised serious questions about the DMK’s governance. “How can the public believe that CCTV cameras were not functioning at Anna University, one of Tamil Nadu’s premier institutions? How was a history-sheeter like Gnanasekaran allowed inside the campus?” he asked.
EPS accused the DMK government of selective enforcement of justice, noting how individuals were arrested for mere tweets, yet Gnanasekaran—allegedly involved in numerous crimes—remained at large. He also criticized the DMK for opposing a CBI investigation into a previous sexual assault case, despite the Madras High Court ordering one. “When the government defends sex offenders all the way to the Supreme Court, how can offenders fear the law?” he questioned.
The Anna University incident has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition parties rallying against the DMK government for its handling of the case and broader issues concerning women’s safety and governance in Tamil Nadu.
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