Chennai, July 3 (IANS) The Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Tamil Nadu government over the arrest of former state minister and party leader Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, accusing the ruling administration of targeting political opponents while ignoring pressing law and order issues.

Radhakrishnan was arrested after the Madras High Court denied him anticipatory bail in connection with a case alleging that he made defamatory remarks against Chief Minister Joseph C. Vijay.

The case stems from a public meeting held on June 20 in Authoor, Thoothukudi district in the state, where the DMK leader allegedly mocked Vijay’s transition from cinema to politics and his conduct in the Assembly.

Condemning the arrest, former Chief Minister and DMK president M. K. Stalin alleged that the government was using the police machinery to suppress the Opposition.

He questioned the timing of the arrest, noting that Radhakrishnan was carrying out inspection work in his constituency when he was taken into custody.

“What was the urgency to arrest someone who was engaged in public service and conducting inspections in his constituency? The Chief Minister is running a police state in a cinematic action style!,” Stalin said in a post on X.

The DMK chief also criticised the government for what he described as selective policing, alleging that it had failed to act with similar urgency in cases involving serious crimes, including a gang rape complaint against a TVK MLA and increasing incidents of crimes against women in the state.

DMK leader and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi also condemned the arrest, describing it as an act of political intimidation.

“The arrest of Thiru. @ARROffice, former Minister and DMK Secretary of Thoothukudi South District, by the police of the tyrannical government is strongly condemnable. The opposition MLA, while engaged in inspection work in his constituency, has been arrested in an utterly anarchic manner by this tyrannical government. The DMK will never bow down to such oppressive tactics,” she said in a post on X.

DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin also criticised the ruling TVK government, alleging that it was quick to act against Opposition leaders while failing to address deteriorating law and order across Tamil Nadu.

In a post on X, he mocked the administration as a “#SofaModel” and “Reels” government, accusing it of pursuing political vendetta instead of governance.

–IANS

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