The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu has come under fire for what critics are calling an “arresting spree” targeting individuals who have criticized the government on social media platforms. Many see these arrests as an act of revenge following the recent arrest of DMK Minister Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of money laundering.
The arrest of V Senthilbalaji, the former DMK Liquor Minister, sent shockwaves through the state. The ED conducted searches at his premises, including his official residence and office, in connection with a job recruitment scam that allegedly occurred during his tenure as the transport minister in the previous Jayalalithaa government. Senthilbalaji’s arrest was accompanied by dramatic scenes, as he complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital for medical examination. Disturbing footage emerged of him crying and kicking those who tried to assist him.
In response to the arrest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin issued a video statement, condemning the action as a political vendetta and warning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not to provoke the DMK. Stalin’s statement seemed to incite some fervor among DMK supporters, who took to social media to demand the arrest of BJP members in retaliation for Senthil Balaji’s arrest. This led to a wave of calls for uncivilized politics by the DMK supporters.
In this situation, Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary SG Suryah was arrested on the intervening night of 16 and 17 June 2023. He has reportedly been arrested under non-bailable sections.
In a scathing letter addressed to Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, BJP Tamil Nadu State Secretary SG Suryah had alleged that a hygiene worker died due to allergies in the body after a Communist party ward member named Viswanathan forced him to clean the manhole.
SG Suryah was reportedly arrested for misattributing a manhole death in Cuddalore to Madurai in a tweet. While DMK and its supporters did not deny the incident, they justified the arrest by labeling the misattribution as fake news.
In another such arrest, AIADMK IT wing functionary Gowtham was arrested for sharing a video meme that humorously referenced MK Stalin’s video statement. Despite the lack of any derogatory content directed at the CM, DMK IT wing members claimed that the tweet was demeaning to him. The video meme circulated by an ADMK functionary playfully responded to Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin’s recent video statement cautioning the BJP government. Importantly, the video meme contained no derogatory content directed towards the CM. Instead, it cleverly incorporated snippets from various Tamil movie scenes, offering a humorous retort to each of MK Stalin’s statements.
சமூக வலைதளங்களில் தொடர்ந்து
விடியா ஆட்சியின் அவலங்களை வெளிக்கொணர்ந்த கழக தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப பிரிவினை சேர்ந்த அன்புத் தம்பி @Gowthamadmk1216 மீது பொய் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்துள்ள இந்த விடியா அரசை வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறேன்.ஊழல் செய்த மந்திரியின் கைதுக்கு ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் நடத்துபவர்கள்,… pic.twitter.com/Aky9Wvkfny
— Raj Satyen (@satyenaiadmk) June 16, 2023
The use of non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in these arrests has raised eyebrows among political observers. Critics question whether such severe measures are necessary for social media posts and memes. IPC sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 469 (forgery), and 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) were registered against ADMK functionary Gowtham, causing concerns about the misuse of legal provisions.
BJP’s SG Suryah has been slapped with sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505(1)(b), 505(1)(c) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 66(D) (punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The ongoing spate of arrests has fueled concerns about the state of democracy in Tamil Nadu. Opposition parties, particularly the BJP and ADMK, have criticized the DMK government for suppressing freedom of speech and resorting to heavy-handed tactics to silence dissent. They argue that the arrests are politically motivated and reflect a growing intolerance towards criticism.
Critics argue that the recent arrests of BJP State Secretary SG Suryah and ADMK IT wing functionary Gowtham were orchestrated to boost the morale of DMK supporters and show that Stalin is listening to their demands.
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