- विज्ञापन -
Chennai: K. Annamalai, the president of the Tamil Nadu BJP, performed a dramatic protest by whipping himself six times outside his residence in Coimbatore on Friday morning. This act was a personal response to the sexual assault of a student from Anna University.
Annamalai had announced his intention to engage in this symbolic protest the day before and declared that he would refrain from wearing slippers until the DMK government is ousted from power in Tamil Nadu. He also pledged to pray at all six temples dedicated to Lord Muruga, a significant deity in southern India.
The former IPS officer has taken a confrontational stance as the head of the Tamil Nadu BJP, frequently criticizing the ruling DMK government. He condemned the police for leaking the FIR related to the sexual assault, which led to the victim’s identification—a 19-year-old engineering student. Annamalai accused the authorities of deliberately compromising the survivor’s safety and anonymity.
He also pointed out that the accused, Gnanashekaran, was not listed as a known criminal despite having a history of offenses, alleging that this was due to his connections with DMK leaders. Annamalai provided evidence of the accused’s ties to the ruling party.
Furthermore, he accused the DMK of trying to distract from the worsening law and order situation in Tamil Nadu by fostering a false narrative of division between the North and South.
The assault occurred when the victim and her male companion were in a secluded area of the Anna University campus after attending a midnight Christmas mass. Gnanashekaran reportedly attacked the male friend and then raped the girl.
The Chennai Police have faced significant backlash for security lapses, especially after claiming to have implemented extensive safety measures during the Christmas celebrations, which included deploying over 8,000 officers.
