Activists, PMK condemn arrest of two bank employees for talk on Chief Minister’s health

Condemning the arrests, especially of the bank staff of Thondamuthur in Coimbatore district, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and All India Lawyers Union (AILU) made a representation to the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Coimbatore on Saturday. They sought proper inquiry into such allegations. They also asked the police to withdraw the case against the employees and to release them immediately. 

National council member of PUCL S. Balamurugan told reporters that the employees Ramesh and Suresh were arrested based on an allegation by an AIADMK functionary that they spoke ill about the Chief Minister on October 7. Asking the police to inquire the authenticity of the complaint, he also expressed concern over misuse of such allegations against individuals to have their revenge on personal grounds.

Pointing out that the Chief Minister belongs to everyone and is not confined to a particular political party, he added that every individual has the right to express their concern over the health of the Chief Minister. Coming in support of the arrested bank employees, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss in a statement said filing of cases against persons wanting to know about the health of ailing Chief Minister is not democratic. “At the same time, such arrests raise suspicion that the police are trying to divert the attention and threaten specific persons,” he added.

There seems to be political motive behind the arrests and there was an assumption that local politicians were pressing on the police to arrest them, the statement said.