DMK chief M K Stalin on Monday lashed out at the BJP and the Tamil Nadu government after a 28-year-old scholar was arrested for raising 'anti-BJP slogan' -- based on a complaint by the BJP's Tamil Nadu state president Tamilisai Soundarajan.
The newly-elected DMK chief on Twitter wrote: "The TN government's decision to arrest the scholar is undemocratic and against freedom of expression. She should be released immediately. If you are going to arrest people who speak against BJP, how many lakhs of people will you send to jail. Even I say the BJP's fascist rule should end."
Sophia, who is said to be pursuing research in Canada, was returning home and was seated behind Soundararajan's third-row seat. She is said to have gotten up and shouted slogans against the BJP and the "fascist" government at the Centre, creating a flutter in the aircraft.
On landing in Chennai, the BJP leader got into a verbal duel with the student and lodged a complaint with the police, who arrested Sophia.
Soundararajan later told the media that the girl rose in a "menacing" manner against her and felt there was a threat to her life in the manner in which she protested.
"She is not an ordinary person," the BJP leader said, adding she suspected her "background" and that there must be some "organisation" behind her protest, which should be probed.
Leaders of various political parties including the CPI-M, CPI and PMK criticized the police "high handedness" and demanded the woman's immediate release. They also said Soundararajan should have handled the issue in a mature manner without resorting to gimmicks.
(with inputs from IANS)