Manusmriti: Allies extend support to Thirumavalavan

DMK president MK Stalin expressed solidarity with Thirumavalavan on the issue and said the case booked by cybercrime police against the VCK leader shows the biased and vengeful approach of the state police directly controlled by the Chief Minister. Stating that Thirumavalavan had only echoed the views of Ambedkar and Periyar who had done it to educate people in the land, Stalin said the VCK leader had only cited Sanadhan dharma, Varnashram and manusmriti to explain how women who account for half or more of the population were denied their rights.

“Periyar and Ambedkar did the same thing their whole life. It is condemnable that the state police who should have acted against political bigots who edited his video to spread communal disharmony in the state, have booked him. The case should be immediately withdrawn,” Stalin said, in a statement. Remarking that the desire of the communal bigots to drive a wedge through the DMK led alliance would not materialise, Stalin said that no other government has done as much as the DMK did for upholding women’s rights.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed solidarity with his ‘friend’ Thirumavalavan and said, “There could be a difference of opinion on the content of his speech. But, how would it amount to a criminal offence? Should we remind (them) every day that there is a freedom to speak? Periyar had aired such views. If he had aired such views now, what would the police have done?”

Joining the issue with Stalin, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri also condemned and said the case booked against Thirumavalavan was proof of the ruling AIADMK being a puppet of the BJP. CPM politburo member G Ramakrishnan also urged state police to drop the case filed against VCK chief over his remark made on manusmriti.