DMK, Cong violating constitutional rights of Tamil Nadu people: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday slammed the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for the police action against its state women unit leaders, accusing it of denying them their “constitutional right” of taking out a march to demand justice for a victim of sexual assault.

The party claimed that several leaders of the Tamil Nadu BJP Mahila Morcha were either detained or put under "house arrest" by the police when they attempted to take out a rally from Madurai to Chennai seeking action in the case of sexual assault on a student on Anna University campus.

It has exposed how the "Constitution-waving members" of the opposition alliance do "everything to violate the constitutional rights" of the people of Tami Nadu, the BJP said and alleged that criminals "have the protection of police and the government" in the DMK-ruled state.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, senior BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Taking out a march is everybody’s right”.

“I specifically point out through you to this Constitution-waving members of the the INDI alliance who talk about Constitution at every stage that Article 19 (1) (b) of the Indian Constitution gives the right of assembly of any gathering anywhere in the country,” he said

Despite their constitutional rights, the BJP workers and leaders have been “arrested”, Chandrasekhar charged.

“Ostensibly, they call it preventive arrest but without any ambiguity it is a complete exposure of how the ‘INDI alliance’, DMK and the Congress talk about the Constitution on the one hand but do every thing on the other hand to violate constitutional rights of the people of Tamil Nadu,” he added.

The BJP leader alleged that Gnanasekaran, arrested in connection with the sexual assault case last month, is a functionary of the ruling DMK.

“It has come to light that he is not some simple sexual offender but a DMK functionary with many instances, photographs and evidence of him hobnobbing with the top leadership of the DMK,” he alleged.

Referring to FIR, the BJP leader said the accused had threatened the victim on “multiple occasions” of dire consequences if she dared to file a complaint.

“This is the kind of lawlessness, this is the kind of fear psychosis that the DMK functionary and the DMK is imposing on the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

“The DMK government is being characterised by history sheeters, violent criminals, sexual offenders, who are becoming untouchable because they have the protection of police and the government,” he added.

Chandrasekhar claimed that the BJP and its partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are the “only parties” in Tamil Nadu which have “repeatedly raised this issue” and are demanding justice for the student.

At the press conference , the BJP leader also targeted the Congress alleging “economic mismanagements” in the states where it is ruling.

He alleged that the Congress with its “politics of fake promises and freebies” has driven Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka into bankruptcy.

“Proof is that the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister (Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu) has now talked about raising electricity prices… In the same way in Karnataka, they (Congress) are increasing bus fare by 15 per cent,” the BJP leader said.