Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday admitted that the man accused of sexually assaulting a student on Anna University campus is a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) supporter.
Assuring that the safety of women is paramount to the state government, Mr Stalin said the man was not shielded and the Goondas Act was invoked against him. He also clarified that the suspect Gnanasekaran, a roadside biryani vendor, is not a member of his party.
Mr Stalin said an FIR was filed immediately in the case and the suspect was arrested within hours. “The investigation is still going on. We will arrest anyone involved, irrespective of their background,” he said. He emphasised that the DMK leads a government for women, citing schemes like free bus rides, Rs 1,000 assistance and financial support for higher education of women.
The December 23 incident, in which a 19-year-old engineering student was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus, has caused an uproar during the ongoing state Assembly session.
The Chief Minister hit out at the opposition AIADMK over the delay in filing an FIR in the 2019 Pollachi sexual assault case, in which a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted and the act was filmed. The Opposition raised slogans, while several leaders, including Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami also held placards in the House. Staging a walkout from the Assembly, the AIADMK said Mr Stalin should talk about the present. Later, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and other BJP leaders also walked out of the Assembly.
At the university campus, AIADMK students’ wing members held a protest on Monday morning. They distributed black bands to the students and public as a mark of support to the victim and to garner the attention of the state government to arrest the real accused, an AIADMK member said. The students were detained as they were denied permission to hold the protest, but were later released.
A week ago, the Madras High Court said that Anna University sexual assault case is being politicised, hitting out at the lack of genuine concern for women’s safety.Â
