Scores of AIADMK cadres were arrested, as the main Opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Monday staged a state-wide protest demonstration to condemn the alleged sexual assault of a girl student at the state-run Anna University and the ruling DMK for failing to prevent crimes against Women.The agitation was earlier scheduled for December 27 but was deferred following the death of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
The agitation was held in all district headquarters, except those coming under Chennai limits.The protests was held in front of all the district collectorate and in all party district headquarters, except in Chennai, where people congregated in large numbers.
During the demonstrations claimed they shouted slogans that ever since the DMK government came to power there been a series of crimes against women, including sexual assaults, sexual harassments in Chennai and other districts and the ruling dispensation has failed to control/prevent them.They said the government had failed to protect the law and order situation in the state, which had deteriorated to the level of people even fearing to freely walk on the roads.
They said the atrocious incident that had taken place in a prestigious and premier institution like Anna University located in the heart of the city, as 'shameful' and alleged that the law and order had deteriorated to such a level that women could not feel safe and secured in educational institutions and work places.
Meanwhile, AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the arrest of the party cadres for staging a protest demonstration and said the AIADMK's stir would continue till the victim gets justice.In a statement here, he had a dig at the ruling DMK for stifling the voice of the Opposition which was only reflecting the people's voices.
He also alleged involvement of ruling DMK men in the Kallakurichi spurious liquor tragedy which claimed more than 60 lives, arrest of a DMK NRI Wing functionary in International drug cartel case (who was since suspended from DMK), and raised doubts whether there would be be any government intervention in the probe into the sexual assault incident.
Mr Palaniswami had already demanded a CBI probe into the incident to unravel the entire truth.The Madras HIgh Court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, had constituted a three member SPecial Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident and also on the alleged leakage of FIR that revealed the victim's identity, while hearing two PILs filed by advocates demanding a CBI probe.(UNI)
