MADURAI: DMK Treasurer T.R.Baalu, M.P., has complained to the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, today (22.11.2020) along with DMK Organisation Secretary R.S.Bharathi, M.P., and Senior Advocate P.Wilson, M.P., regarding the indiscriminate, illegal arrest and detention of DMK youth wing secretary Mr.Udayanidhi Stalin on 20.11.2020 at Thirukkuvalai and on 21.11.2020 at Akkaraipettai, Nagapattinam District – on 22.11.2020.
Police illegally arrested him at Kutthalam, Mayiladuthurai District – Abuse of Police power to favour ruling AIADMK and alliance parties – Prevention of lawful election campaign and DMK party related works – thwarting democratic rights – Perpetuating illegality by allowing Home Minister, Chief Minister and Ministers to conduct official and political meetings and breach social distancing. Request to apply the same law to DMK.
Herewith attached the Complaint.
Date : 22.11.2020
To,
The Director General of Police,
Tamil Nadu
Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore,
Chennai – 600 004.
Respected Sir,
Sub: The indiscriminate, illegal arrest and detention of DMK youth wing secretary, Mr.Udayanidhi Stalin on 20.11.2020 at Thirukkuvalai and on 21.11.2020 at Akkaraipettai, Nagapattinam District – on 22.11.2020 Police illegally arrested him at Kutthalam, Mayiladuthurai District – Abuse of Police power to favour ruling AIADMK and alliance parties – Prevention of lawful election campaign and DMK party related works – thwarting democratic rights – Perpetuating illegality by allowing Home Minister, Chief Minister and Ministers to conduct official and political meetings and breach social distancing Request to apply the same law to DMK- Regarding
Ref: My representation dated 21.11.2020
******
I am deeply pained to give you this representation on consecutive days on the same issue. The Tamilnadu Police is acting in a biased and partisan manner applying different yardsticks for the ruling AIADMK party, its alliance party BJP and DMK while implementing G.O. Ms. 643 dated 13.11.2020 and is unfairly singling out DMK.
The ruling AIADMK party is conducting public meetings all over the State in blatant disregard to the norms laid down by the Government. The Chief Minister and his council of ministers go everywhere violating asocial distancing norms and are holding meetings with the AIADMK party men who gather in large numbers. Thousands of AIADMK workers are brought in lorries and trucks for these functions. However no action has been taken by the police even when they violate all the COVID 19 Regulations fixed by Government with impunity. There is not even a single FIR against the CM or Dy CM, Ministers or AIADMK office bearers till today.
In my complaint dated 21.11.2020 given to you yesterday, I have listed out the instances with evidences where the ruling AIADMK party conducted various functions completely violating social distancing norms and this was widely published by several leading newspapers. However, no action was taken on any of the participants in this regard. Further, the Chief Minister of the State himself has violated the social distancing norms and the Regulations laid by conducting public meetings on various dates. The photographs and newspaper reports showing the violations made by the CM were annexed to the said representation. No FIR is lodged against any one conducted in violation of the G.O. Ms. No. 643 dated 13.11.2020.
Shockingly, in stark contrast, our DMK youth wing secretary Thiru. Udayanidhi Stalin was arrested soon after he launched the ‘Vidiyalai Nokki’ election campaign at Tirukuvalai in Nagapattinam district on 20.11.2020 and even on 21.11.2020 at Akkaraipettai, Nagapattinam Dist., he was detained when he was travelling in a car, after visiting fishermen and finishing the party campaigning work. The reason for illegally detaining Mr Udayanidhi Stalin though all social distancing norms and precautions were followed and taken, citing crowd and restriction in force due to Covid-19 which is highly discriminatory, biased and partisan attitude of the police.
Yesterday viz 21.11.2020 when Hon’ble Home Minister Mr Amit shah arrived in Chennai, he was given a grand gala reception by the ruling AIADMK party by bringing thousands of their party workers and was made to stand on both sides of the road. No social distancing and other norms were observed. Many of them were without mask. The road show being part of reception was organised by AIADMK party at the behest of Mr. Edapadi K Palaniswami Chief Minister and Mr. L. Murugan State BJP President violated the COVID 19 regulations. The photographs enclosed along with the complaint would show that more than 1000 party workers were made to gather for this road show. Mr. Amit Shah himself got out of the car and was waving his hands to the crowd. Further a political meeting at Kalaivanar Arangam was organised, though styled to be an official function in the evening in which Mr Amit Shah, Mr Edapadi Palaniswamy Chief Minister, Mr O. Panneer Selvam, Deputy Chief Minister and other Ministers, AIADMK and BJP functionaries participated and spoke. BJP Alliance with AIADMK was announced in the said meeting and political speeches attacking DMK was made in the said meeting. Earlier in the evening BJP conducted its party meetings at Leela Palace, more than 200 office bearers participated. These entire programmes were done right under the nose of the City Commissioner of Police and the Police did not enforce the regulations even though such meetings were prohibited nor filed any FIR against the organisers . When the aforesaid G.O. was in force it is not known how this political function at Kalaivanar Arangam and party meetings at Leela Palace were allowed to be conducted.
In a stark contrast the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Youth Wing secretary Thiru.Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested on 20.11.2020 in Akkaraipettai, Nagapattinam District after he visited few fisherman villages to hear their grievances and for doing party campaigning and party related works. He was arrested in the morning and detained illegally till 10 PM without any reasons. In a similar manner yesterday he was arrested in Thirukuvalai, Nagapattinam on 21.11.2020 while he was campaigning for the DMK party and was detained till mid night. The arrest and detaining him from morning till mid night is highly arbitrary, illegal even though the Youth wing secretary and DMK Party has been following social distancing and norms fixed by the Government strictly. Similarly, today, 22.11.2020, he was arrested at Kutthalam, Mayiladurai District after he finished his election related work. This arrest also is highly illegal, discriminatory and done with an intention of targeting the DMK party.
The ruling party sponsored Vel Yatra of the BJP party was allowed to be conducted and Mr L Murugan, State President BJP was shown to be arrested on paper only after he completed his Vel Yatra programmes in all the places which BJP organised. Immediately after showing his arrest he was let out without being detained. This Vel Yatra programmes which has the blessings of ruling AIADMK party was and is being allowed to be conducted without any hitch. Though DMK party is not concerned with the Vel Yatra Party, yet to highlight the fact that discriminatory treatment is adopted by the police the above instances are captured in this complaint. On the contrary Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested everyday in the morning in the past three days, taken away and detained till mid night without any reasons and let off only thereafter. This is cunningly done by the ruling AIADMK by abusing Police power to curtail the DMK party works and election related works and preventing Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin from reaching the people.
This clearly shows that the Police department is being misused by the ruling AIADMK party as an election tool, to suppress the principal opposition DMK party and stifle its election campaigns, whereas on the other hand, the Chief Minsiter, Ministers and alliance partners including the Home Minister Thiru. Amit Shah, are being freely allowed to address political gatherings, meetings in the Kalaivanar Arangam and at Hotel Leela Palace without any restrictions even though they violate the regulations fixed for Covid-19.
The Bihar elections were conducted where there were no restrictions to carry out the regular political campaigns. In fact Hon’ble Prime Minister himself has addressed huge gatherings along with the alliance parties in Bihar. In Tamilnadu TASMAC is operated without any restrictions. Therefore COVID 19 regulations is taken as mask and shield to discriminate and suppress DMK party and nothing more.
As a principal opposition party, we have every duty to meet the people and address their grievances. Meeting the people by the elected representatives is part of their duties and functions. Election campaigning is part of democratic functions and it cannot be curtailed especially when the ruling AIADMK party and BJP party are allowed to do so without any obstructions or hitches. More so when Mr Amit Shah and Mr Edapadi Palaniswami, Mr O Pannerselvam are allowed to go scot free there is no reasons as to why Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin is detained illegally from morning till night for no reasons. This shows the abuse and misuse of police powers.
The law should be equally and uniformly applied to everyone since equality before law is a touchstone of our Constitution and is the fulcrum of Art 14. As the head of the State Police, you have a solemn duty to ensure your department does not act in a partisan and arbitrary manner.
Hence, once again on behalf of DMK Party we request you to do the needful to direct all the concerned officers in districts across Tamil Nadu to:
(a) Refrain from arresting or impeding the members of the DMK party from carrying out lawful election campaign, meetings or events in accordance with law by adhering to the Covid-19 regulations;
(b) Forthwith stop the discriminatory practise of preventing Thiru. Udhayanidhi Stalin from doing political campaigning for DMK party and political works;
(c) Adopt a non discriminatory practice towards all the political parties as done to the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues and other members of the AIADMK and its alliance parties BJP as well.
(d) Register a complaint and take necessary action in accordance with law in light of the above;
Failing which we shall be constrained to take appropriate steps including initiation of appropriate proceedings in accordance with law.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely
Sd. XX XX XX
(T.R. Baalu, M.P.,)
Treasurer,
D.M.K.
