The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested DMK MLA Anitha R Radhakrishnan following the dismissal of his anticipatory bail petition by the Madras High Court. The arrest is connected to a case concerning objectionable remarks he made against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay.
According to the police, the case stems from a speech delivered by Radhakrishnan at a public meeting in Athur, near Tiruchendur, on June 20 during celebrations marking the birth anniversary of the former Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi. The police stated that the DMK legislator made inflammatory remarks against the Chief Minister during the event, which led to a case being registered against him. He was taken into custody shortly after the High Court declined to grant him pre-arrest bail.
The initial complaint centred on remarks in which Radhakrishnan mocked the Chief Minister's appearance and his transition from the film industry into politics. Referring to a recent confrontation in the Assembly between DMK MLA S Austin and the Chief Minister during a debate on law and order, Radhakrishnan had claimed that when challenged to speak, the Chief Minister looked trapped, comparing the situation to someone regretting leaving a comfortable life in cinema. Continuing his criticism, the DMK legislator likened the Chief Minister’s demeanour in the Assembly to that of a customer entering a shop, suggesting that his commercial background allowed him to read the Chief Minister's discomfort.
Reacting to the arrest, DMK MP Kanimozhi accused the state government of employing oppressive tactics against the opposition, describing the action as strongly condemnable. Writing on the social media platform X, she alleged that Radhakrishnan was arrested whilst inspecting development projects in his constituency, characterising the move as an anarchic act by a tyrannical government. She maintained that the DMK would not back down in the face of such high-handed measures.
During the court proceedings, Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan dismissed Radhakrishnan's anticipatory bail petition, observing that he should not have made such statements given his position as a sitting legislator. The judge pointed out that Tamil Nadu has a long history of electing leaders from the film industry since 1967 and remarked that the comments were entirely unwarranted. The court underscored that because Radhakrishnan was a member of the legislative assembly, such remarks were inappropriate.
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