The Krishnagiri police are on the look out for Anbanandan Ariyappan, the DMK’s Gen Z wing coordinator to arrest him for his post on Instagram that purportedly “outraged the modesty of women” and “defamed the government”.
The Rayakottai police registered a case against Anbanandan Ariyappan as soon as a complaint was lodged by the TVK’s east union secretary (Kelamangalam) Moorthy for a post uploaded by him on Tuesday evening.
Mr. Anbanandan’s post proclaimed to be a response to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s “kutty story” in his Assembly speech on Tuesday, where he took a swipe at the leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin asking about the whereabouts of his father, DMK leader and former Chief Minister MK Stalin. ,
Mr. Anbanandan’s post showed him on a pretend phone call with Mr. Vijay’s son, asking about the whereabouts of his father and goes on to make certain statements about the Chief Ministers relationships.
The police filed an FIR and made a late night raid into the house purportedly to look out for a person for a potentially offensive post. The post was made at 4.30 p.m, and the FIR was filed on the complaint lodged by a TVK functionary soon after. The police landed in the house of Anbanandan past 10.30 p.m. for inquiry.
G.S. Anitha, Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu that there was no political pressure to act, but since the case involved “outraging the modesty of women” and given the government’s position on crimes against women, the police filed the case.” Anbanandan was absconding and will be arrested, Ms. Anitha said. Case was registered under Sections 79, 351(2), 352, and 353(1)(b) of the BNS and Section 6 of the Indecent Representatiion of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi slammed the raid in the house of Anbanandan and challenged the government to crackdown on the youth raising their voice against the government.
A late night raid into a home for a social media post creates a fear psychosis and self-censorship on the one hand, and the social media surveillance purportedly to protect the dignity of women is selective, excluding many others from its protections, says Aadhavan Deetchanya, the Communist writer and general secretary, Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association.
When the police go knocking into a home after dark and question families, it pushes people into silence, he said.
Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also condemned the attempt to arrest Mr. Anbanandan.
He further claimed that members of the TVK had assaulted a person named Kani in Saidapet, Chennai, who had recently spoken at a Gen Z meeting organised by the DMK.
“The police, who have not registered any case against the perpetrators of the assault, intimidated Kani while he was in hospital for treatment, and forced him to get discharged. Is this the ‘change’ you promised — sending the police if anyone speaks against the ruling party and the government, but being a mute spectator if the attackers belong to the TVK,” he asked.
