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.

Chennai:

Actor-turned-politician Vijay will meet Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi in Chennai today at 1 pm amid outrage over the sexual assault incident at Anna University. 

The sexual assault of a second-year student on the campus of Anna University on December 23 has sparked protests across Tamil Nadu. The incident has led to the arrest of one person and four special police teams are working on the case. 

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Women Welfare Federation staged protests outside Anna University’s Guindy campus, demanding justice and stricter security measures for women in educational institutions.

Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), described the incident as “deeply shocking and painful” on Wednesday in a statement posted on X. 

“Although the police have informed that a person who sexually assaulted has been arrested, I urge the Tamil Nadu government to take swift legal action against him and ensure appropriate punishment. Also, if anyone else is involved in this heinous crime, appropriate action should also be taken against them promptly,” Vijay wrote on X. 

Vijay suggested the use of the Nirbhaya Fund to install smart poles equipped with emergency buttons, CCTV cameras, and telephones in vulnerable areas. He also called for adequate restroom facilities in public spaces, and launching mobile apps and emergency hotlines dedicated to women’s safety.

On Saturday, the Madras High Court constituted an all-women IPS officers’ Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal, and Brinda. The SIT is tasked with investigating not only the sexual assault but also the leak of the victim’s FIR.

The court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the victim. It further directed Anna University to ensure the victim receives free education, along with boarding, lodging, and counselling support. Additionally, the High Court issued warnings to the Tamil Nadu DGP, mandating strict measures to prevent FIR leaks in future sexual offence cases.

The incident has intensified political pressure on the ruling DMK government. BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai staged a dramatic protest on Friday, whipping himself outside his home as a symbolic gesture against what he called the “failure” of the DMK in ensuring women’s safety.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has dispatched a two-member fact-finding team to investigate the case and monitor the government’s response.

The woman was sexually assaulted in the campus of the premier technical varsity. (Representational)