MMK president Jawahirullah condemns Udhayanidhi Stalin's arrest as 'political vendetta,' demands immediate release

In a statement, Jawahirullah said Udhayanidhi Stalin had participated in the Cauvery rights protest held in Thanjavur on August 3 and alleged that police registered a case under six sections and arrested him based on a complaint filed by members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) over a controversial remark made during his speech.

While stating that the controversial phrase used by Udhayanidhi should have been avoided, Jawahirullah said arresting the Leader of the Opposition over the remark was excessive and contrary to democratic principles.

He further claimed that despite the Madras High Court taking up Udhayanidhi's anticipatory bail plea on an urgent basis and indicating that he should not be arrested until the matter was heard later in the day, police proceeded with the arrest, reportedly stating that they had not received any court order. Jawahirullah said the action raises legal questions, including whether it amounts to disregard of the court's proceedings.

Citing the Supreme Court's judgment in the Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar (2014) case, Jawahirullah said arrests should not be made mechanically in cases carrying a punishment of up to seven years and that police are required to first examine whether arrest is necessary before taking such action.

He also alleged that while the government acted swiftly against Udhayanidhi over his speech, it had not initiated action against a TVK minister who allegedly made objectionable and threatening remarks in public. He termed this a case of double standards.

Jawahirullah further claimed that during the previous DMK government, no immediate arrest was made against TVK president and current Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over his remarks following the Karur tragedy, and said the DMK had maintained political decorum by not imprisoning opposition leaders for their speeches.

Expressing concern over what he described as an increasing trend of arresting opposition leaders over social media posts, public speeches and political criticism, Jawahirullah said such actions were unhealthy for democracy.

He also criticised the government for allegedly failing to take strong action against Karnataka on the Mekedatu dam issue while acting swiftly to arrest an opposition leader who had spoken on Cauvery rights.

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly session set to begin on August 5, Jawahirullah said the arrest of the Leader of the Opposition could be perceived as an attempt to suppress democratic dissent. He urged the government to respect democratic values, refrain from using arrests to silence political criticism, immediately release Udhayanidhi Stalin, and abandon what he termed politically motivated action. (ANI)