Anna University Sexual Assault Case Sparks Political Row in Tamil Nadu

Anna University Sexual Assault Case: The alleged sexual assault of a student at Anna University has kicked up a political storm in Tamil Nadu, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching sharp allegations against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai accused the DMK of shielding the accused, Gnanasekaran, claiming his ties to the party’s Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Annamalai took to X (formerly Twitter) posting a photo of Gnanasekaran claiming that the accused is the deputy organizer of the DMK’s Saidapet East student wing. In his strongly worded post, Annamalai said, “A clear pattern emerges from such criminal cases across Tamil Nadu. Criminals become DMK members, gain proximity to its executives, and avoid prosecution due to political interference. This emboldens them to commit further crimes.”

It has come to light that the accused in the Sexual Assault of a student at Anna University is a repeat offender and a DMK functionary.

A clear pattern emerges from the number of such cases in the past:

1. A criminal becomes close to the local DMK functionaries and becomes a… pic.twitter.com/PcGbFqILwk

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) December 25, 2024

He further claimed that Gnanasekaran, who has 15 cases of sexual crimes to his credit, was not even followed up and prosecuted as there was pressure from local DMK functionaries. “The DMK government is wholly responsible for this tragedy. How long will the people of Tamil Nadu tolerate this? Is there a law protecting ruling party members from legal action?”

The BJP leader accused the state government of converting universities into “dens for sex offenders” rather than institutions of higher education. “The police, who promptly act against social media comments critical of the government, have failed to arrest a habitual offender like Gnanasekaran,” he said.

Reacting to the BJP’s claims, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy dismissed the allegations, stating that Gnanasekaran is neither a DMK member nor affiliated with the party. “Anna University has a sprawling campus, and the accused had entered it. As per the latest information, one person has been arrested,” he said, emphasizing that the government is taking swift action.

#WATCH | On alleged sexual assault of a student on Anna University campus, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S. Regupathy says, "Anna University has a huge campus which the man had entered…He is not a DMK member or volunteer, not connected with the party. According to the information… pic.twitter.com/HHpaIwADVf

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2024

Anna University Sexual Assault Case: AIADMK Joins Protests

As part of the protests against the campus safety failure of the DMK government, AIADMK workers began protesting. Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan along with several other AIADMK members was detained by the police as they had been protesting.

#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: AIADMK workers protesting against the DMK government over the alleged sexual assault on a student of Anna University, being detained by Police pic.twitter.com/ZHKdvAMnFj

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2024

AIADMK leader D Jayakumar criticized the authorities by stating that the protest permission was denied whereas rallies organized by the allies of DMK were not stopped. “This selective enforcement of the law exposes the government’s bias,” he argued.

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from various quarters, with demands for stringent action against the perpetrators and greater accountability from the government. As investigations continue, the case remains a flashpoint for political and social discourse in Tamil Nadu.

The tragic event has called attention not only to questions of campus safety but also to deepening political rivalry in the state, as both opposition parties use the incident to target the ruling DMK.