DMK Treasurer and MP TR Baalu wrote to the Director General of Police JK Tripathy to issue appropriate directions against the alleged indiscriminate detention of DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday and Saturday at Nagapattinam. Udhayanidhi Stalin was detained on Friday after launching the DMK party’s 75-day campaign for Assembly Election 2021 at the hometown of former Chief Minister and DMK stalwart Karunanidhi in Thirukkuvalai for violating the COVID-19 norms. On Saturday, the leader was detained again while visiting the fishermen of Akkaraipettai to hear their grievances and for doing party works.

TR Baalu alleged that the ruling AIADMK is abusing police power to favour their party and to stop the campaign of the DMK. He requested the DGP to ensure that the police department is not “partisan and arbitrary”. In the letter, DMK MP TR Baalu alleged, “The arrest is illegal and based on false facts. The Youth Wing Secretary and DMK party have been following social distancing norms fixed by the government. On the other hand, the ruling AIADMK party is conducting public meetings all over the state in blatant disregard for the norms laid down by the government.” “However, no action has been taken by the police even when they violate all the regulations fixed by the government with impunity,” he alleged.

The Sriperumbudur MP cited two cases wherein AIADMK violated the physical distancing norms put forth by the Tamil Nadu government and reportedly no action was taken against the ruling party. The Foundation Day celebrated by AIADMK on October 17 headed by Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in the party headquarters and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s arrival at the Chennai airport on Saturday took place with huge crowds violating the COVID-19 norms, he said.

The DMK Treasurer alleged, “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 to stifle its election campaigns.”

The law should be equally and uniformly applied to everyone since equality before law is a touchstone of our Constitution, he added.

TR Baalu wrote, “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, we request you to do the needful to direct all the concerned officers in districts across Tamil Nadu.”