The Dravidian majors DMK and AIADMK stepped up pressure on the ruling TVK on Thursday, filing formal complaints with senior officials and demanding the arrest of Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh over allegations that he sent obscene WhatsApp messages to a woman district collector.
Both parties intensified their criticism of the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government, pressing for criminal action against the legislator.
Moving beyond criticism through statements and social media posts, the rival parties submitted formal petitions to senior officials, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) and Kallakurichi Superintendent of Police.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK representatives demanded immediate criminal action, seizure of the MLA's phone and his arrest, turning a local controversy into a wider test of law and order for the six-month-old TVK government.
Amid the political uproar, Vignesh denied the allegations as "untrue".
The DMK, represented by its organisation secretary RS Bharathi, sought a fair and impartial investigation into the allegations against Arul Vignesh. He specifically called for a probe by the Crime Branch-CID (CB-CID), citing the seriousness of the case, which involves a legislator and an IAS officer.
Speaking to reporters after submitting a petition to the DGP, Bharathi said the matter required special attention to maintain law and order.
He criticised the state government, alleging that TVK members acted with impunity. He cited an earlier incident in which a TVK cadre was released after allegedly harassing a woman police officer during a public event.
In his complaint to the DGP, Bharathi sought the registration of an FIR and a fair, independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, sending obscene electronic messages, intimidating a public servant and unauthorised intrusion into the residence of the Kallakurichi district collector, allegedly involving Arul Vignesh.
"The allegations, if true, disclose cognisable offences. They involve not only an outrage on the dignity of a woman, but also an attempt by an elected representative of the ruling party to intimidate the senior-most administrative officer of a district. Such conduct, if established, strikes at the heart of the rule of law and at the ability of officers, particularly women officers, to discharge their duties without fear or favour," he said.
Bharathi said an FIR should be registered immediately and the investigation entrusted to an independent agency such as the CB-CID. He also called for adequate protection for the officer and her family.
"This complaint does not seek to pre-judge the guilt of the said MLA. It seeks only what the law requires: that allegations of this gravity be investigated fairly, promptly and independently, so that the truth is established and, if offences are made out, the person responsible is brought to justice irrespective of his political position," Bharathi said.
Earlier on Thursday, the AIADMK petitioned senior Tamil Nadu government officials, including the Chief Secretary, seeking legal action against Arul Vignesh over the same allegations.
"The AIADMK legal wing has filed a formal complaint with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and DGP, seeking immediate criminal action against the Kallakurichi MLA for allegedly sending obscene text messages to a woman district collector," AIADMK advocate wing secretary I S Inbadurai said on X.
The petition was submitted by AIADMK South Chennai district legal wing deputy secretary and advocate R Trisuli, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
