One of the core campaign points for the DMK in this election has been the Pollachi sexual abuse case. From MK Stalin downwards, all leaders have made this issue a talking point in their rallies, to attack the AIADMK on the women’s safety front.
But what are the people of Pollachi saying?
The truth is that families living in Pollachi are furious with the DMK for ruining their lives and the reputations of their women over an issue that should have been dealt with strictly as a law and order problem.
The police complaint filed by a 19-year-old woman on 24 February 2019, was quickly picked up by the local DMK District Secretary Thendral Selvaraj. In this, he saw an opportunity to malign the reputation of AIADMK leader Pollachi Jayaraman. First Selvaraj and his party tried to drag Jayaraman’s son into the issue as one of the accused. That did not work, because he was not involved in the issue in any way.
In fact, it was Pollachi Jayaraman who had accompanied the girl and her brother to the police station to get the FIR filed.
With Lok Sabha elections a few months away, a desperate DMK then tried to create a new narrative. That there were hundreds – around 250-300 women – who had been sexually abused by this gang.
The DMK went hammer and tongs at the issue – creating fear among the public who locked up their wives and daughters in their homes, not allowing them to go to work or to college.
First the case was transferred to the CB-CID and then to the CBI as the DMK’s pressure intensified. The CBI FIR itself stated that there were videos of four women in the mobile phones of the three accused arrested men. Not 250. Not 100. Four women in all.
Ask anyone in Pollachi. Thanks to the DMK’s fake propaganda about 250 young women being sexually harassed and raped, scores of weddings got cancelled.
Young women of marriageable age were unable to find grooms because of the stain of the propaganda over Pollachi. Even married women were harassed – their families suspected that they might have been abused or raped and that they had not divulged the truth.
Playing politics is one thing but when the lives of people are affected by political narrative or propaganda, it cannot be condoned. Today, Pollachi’s families are angry with the DMK. And with good reason.
Still Milking The Pollachi Issue
Even after the elections, the DMK does not seem to be willing to allow the Pollachi issue at peace. Anyone writing the truth is instantly discredited by no less than the IT Wing Head of the DMK, PTRP Thiagarajan. He and his troll army attacked a Chennai-based journalist over the Pollachi issue.
Actually, it’s worse than that..and this time I will (for the last time) tag you, @sandhyaravishan…..
Anyone who tried to downplay the Pollachi atrocities, saying they were blow out of proportion by the opposition, is scum that I don’t want to cross paths with ever in my life https://t.co/4XKOMbAOWC
— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) April 11, 2021
However, it was found that the DMK and its troll army had shared a screenshot of a portion of two articles published in The Lede (here and here) distorting the context of the articles to suit their agenda and tarnish the woman journalist.
In the first report dated 13 March 2019, an interview of the Pollachi sexual harassment victim was published. In the second report dated 22 March 2019, the article debunks the DMK’s claim that there were over 250 victims. The truth is that while there were hundreds of videos in the mobile phones of the accused, most of them were porn videos.
In fact, in the second article, it is clearly mentioned that – “In the past month and a half, rumours have rife about thousands of videos and over 250 women having been victims of the gang of four who exploited them sexually for money and favours.
These rumours have been fed and fuelled largely by a section of the media on the back of a persistent campaign by the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which has continually alleged that various leaders of the ruling AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) are involved in the racket and were shielding the accused.
What we do know from the police version is that there are four videos only, which have been recovered from the mobile phones of the accused. SP Coimbatore, R Pandiarajan, confirmed the same at a press meet in early March. The CB-CID, which is now investigating the case, has also confirmed the same, although on condition of anonymity.”
It was in this context that Sandhya, who was then the editor of The Lede, had written saying that such an emotive issue should not be sensationalised and politicised, since it would stoke public fear in a major way.
And that is exactly what happened too. The DMK clearly does not care about the consequences of their political rhetoric. It’s IT Wing Head clearly does not like the truth to be told.
At the end of the day, it is the women of Pollachi who have paid for the sins of the DMK.
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