A political storm has erupted in Tamil Nadu following a sexual assault incident at Anna University in Chennai, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party of protecting the accused due to his alleged ties with the party.
The controversy intensified after BJP leaders shared photographs linking the accused to top DMK officials, including Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
K Annamalai, the state president of the BJP, claimed that the accused, Gnanasekaran, 37, was a member of the DMK’s student wing in Saidai East and had been involved in similar criminal activities in the past.
He argued that such crimes were being overlooked due to the accused’s connections with local DMK leaders. Annamalai’s post on X (formerly Twitter) suggested that the accused had avoided legal consequences in the past, with cases against him being suppressed due to political influence.
According to Annamalai, this pattern of protection allowed Gnanasekaran to commit further crimes, as he was neither categorized as a history-sheeter nor placed on the local police watchlist. He questioned Chief Minister MK Stalin’s accountability, asking how long the people of Tamil Nadu would tolerate such alleged political interference.
The incident, which took place on Anna University’s campus, has shocked the public. Gnanasekaran, who reportedly ran a biryani stall near the university, is accused of assaulting a second-year engineering student.
After attacking the student’s male friend, Gnanasekaran allegedly dragged the victim into a bush and sexually assaulted her. The attack has sparked protests on campus, with student organizations such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) demanding justice for the survivor and better safety measures for students on campus.
BJP’s Protests
As the issue gained political momentum, BJP members, including former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and vice president Karu Nagarajan, staged protests outside Anna University. They condemned the lack of action and claimed that the police were suppressing details about the case, particularly the First Information Report (FIR), because the accused was allegedly linked to the DMK.
Soundararajan described the police action as “atrocious” and accused the authorities of trying to stifle the voices of the protesters. Annamalai further criticized the leak of the FIR, suggesting that it was deliberately done to protect the accused due to his political affiliations.
DMK’s Rejection of Allegations
In response to the BJP’s claims, DMK spokesperson A Saravanan strongly rejected the accusations. He argued that sharing a photograph with a party leader does not imply party involvement in a crime. Saravanan emphasized that the accused had already been arrested and assured that he would face justice under the DMK-led government.
In a post on X, Saravanan reiterated that the Tamil Nadu police would take action against anyone involved in the crime, regardless of political connections. He also dismissed BJP’s claims as baseless, accusing them of spreading false narratives to undermine the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu.
