New Delhi:

Tamil Nadu Assembly’s first session of the year got off to a stormy start on Monday as the Opposition AIADMK and BJP MLAs protested and raised slogans against the Anna University sexual assault case. Several leaders, including Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami – who led the protest – also held placards in the House.

The Assembly Speaker M Appavu asked the protesting MLAs to stop the sloganeering. However, as they did not stop, the Speaker ordered marshalls to evacuate them. 

Following this, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and other BJP leaders also walked out of the Assembly.

According to BJP MLA, Vanathi Srinivasan, they do not have any faith in the government’s investigation into the sexual assault case. “We suspect someone is being safeguarded…Opposition is not politicising the issue. We are raising women’s safety issues,” she told NDTV.

The ruling DMK government has been facing challenges as its allied party, the VCK, also submitted a notice to the Speaker to discuss the issues surrounding the Anna University sexual assault case.

The incident took place on December 23, when a 19-year-old engineering student was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus. The victim, in her complaint, said that the assailant had attacked her and her male friend, brutally assaulting the latter before dragging her into nearby shrubs.

One person, Gnanasekaran –  a roadside biryani vendor – was arrested shortly after the complaint was filed. 

AIADMK students’ wing members detained

AIADMK Students’ wing members held a protest outside Anna University on Monday morning. They distributed black bands to the students and public as a mark of support to the victim and to garner the attention of the state government to arrest the real accused, an AIADMK member said.

The students, however, were detained as they were denied permission to hold the protest.

They would be released later in the day, police said.

Another high drama in Tamil Nadu assembly 

Another high drama followed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly as Governor TN Ravi walked out of the inaugural session of the House, accusing DMK of disrespecting the Constitution by refusing to sing the National Anthem before the session convened.

“The Constitution of Bharat and the National Anthem were once again insulted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today. Respecting the National Anthem is among the first Fundamental Duty as enshrined in our Constitution. It is sung in all the state legislatures at the beginning and the end of Governor’s address. Today on the arrival of the Governor to the House only Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu was sung,” the Raj Bhavan said in a post on X.

It added that while the Governor “respectfully reminded” the House to play the national anthem, they “cussedly refused”.

“It is a matter of grave concern. Not to be a party to such brazen disrespect to the Constitution and the National Anthem, Governor in deep anguish left the House,” the post read.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly reportedly has a tradition of beginning and ending the session with the national anthem.

The Governor also did not deliver the customary address to the Assembly.

This is not the first time that the Governor has walked out of the Assembly and refused to deliver the address. In 2023, dramatic scenes played out in the Assembly when TN Ravi skipped parts of the official speech prepared by the DMK. He did not mention parts of the address that mentioned leaders such as Periyar, BR Ambedkar, K Kamaraj, CN Annadurai, and K Karunanidhi.

Bengaluru:

Slamming the criticism over the whiplash protest by Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai, Karnataka BJP said that as a mark of protest, Annamalai symbolically inflicted lashes on himself with a whip, representing divine faith and justice, to condemn the DMK government’s inaction.

Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra stated on Friday, “Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai has demonstrated his deep faith and devotion by staging a symbolic protest against the heinous incident of rape of a student at Anna University, Tamil Nadu.”

“Highlighting his beliefs, he has called for attention to the ‘arrogant and indifferent’ stance of the ruling DMK government, which has failed to take legal action against the accused perpetrators,” Mr Vijayendra said.

This unique and heartfelt protest has drawn mockery from certain malicious individuals. However, it is imperative for all of us to support such an innovative and meaningful method of protest aimed at ensuring justice for the victim and protecting the dignity of women, he stated.

“It is equally important to condemn the remarks and behaviour of those who ridicule such sincere efforts. Annamalai has vowed not to wear footwear until the DMK government is ousted from power in Tamil Nadu. Let us hope and wish for the success of this determined fight for justice,” he said.

Mr Vijayendra opined that this bold struggle against the oppressive DMK government in Tamil Nadu showcases the BJP’s commitment to ensuring justice and safeguarding women’s rights.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai lashed himself six times with a whip on Friday morning outside his residence in Coimbatore.

The act was part of a personal protest against the sexual assault of an Anna University student. Mr Annamalai had announced on Thursday that he would whip himself as a symbolic act of protest against the incident.

He also vowed not to wear slippers until the DMK government is removed from power in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP leader stated that he would pray at all six temples of Lord Muruga, the revered war deity in southern India.

The former IPS officer has been leading the Tamil Nadu BJP with an aggressive approach and has been vocal in his criticism of the ruling DMK government.

Annamalai condemned the police for leaking the FIR related to the sexual assault case, which resulted in the identification of the 19-year-old victim, an engineering student at Anna University.

He accused the authorities of intentionally leaking the details and failing to ensure the safety and anonymity of the survivor.

The BJP president further alleged that the accused, Gnanashekaran, was not included in the police’s rowdy list despite being involved in several criminal cases already.

He claimed that this omission was due to Gnanashekaran’s close ties with DMK leaders and also provided evidence relating to the affiliation of the accused with the ruling party.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)