Two functionaries of the ruling DMK were arrested in the wee hours of Wednesday for misbehaving with a woman police constable during a public meeting over the weekend, hours after they were suspended from the party for "bringing disrepute".
The arrest by the police and suspension by the ruling DMK comes after Opposition parties like the AIADMK and BJP accused the administration of trying to protect the culprits. They also questioned how the police can maintain law and order when they are not "even safe" from DMK cadres.
In a statement late Tuesday night, DMK general secretary Durai Murugan said Praveen and Ekambaram have been placed under suspension for going against the party's rules and bringing disrepute to it.
Sources in the police said the duo, office bearers of the DMK Youth Wing, were picked up police on Wednesday. The sources said the duo were arrested after the police examined CCTV footage of the incident which took place on December 31, 2022.
The two men misbehaved with a woman police constable who was on duty at a public meeting attended by DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and South Chennai MP Tamizhachi Thangapandian in Virugambakkam area.
However, the men attempted to flee when people protested against their behaviour but were caught immediately. It is said the police didn't file an FIR despite the victim filing a complaint due to influence from DMK leaders. After the incident was reported in the media, creating an uproar, the police constable seems to have withdrawn her complaint.
But police, on examination of CCTV footage, arrested them, the sources said.
While flagging the incident on January 2, Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, said it is a shame that Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is in-charge of the Home Ministry, is not able to save “police women” from his own party members. “Such incidents raise questions on the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. We have come to a situation where we have to protect ourselves,” he said.
In a tweet, BJP chief K Annamalai had said the Tamil Nadu government was in deep slumber.
“Two DMK Youth wing functionaries molested a police constable on protection duty in a public meeting in which MP Kanimozhi participated. What's more disgusting is that the DMK men ganged up and stopped police from arresting those two individuals. @CMOTamilnadu, as usual, continues to be a silent spectator to this,” he wrote.