The DMK on Thursday criticised the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for condemning the arrest of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi without explicitly naming the BJP-led Union government as responsible for the action.
Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders were detained by Delhi Police on October 6 while protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanding his resignation.
TVK had condemned the arrest of the Leader of the Opposition and other MPs in a social media post, describing the manner of their detention as "highly objectionable" and calling for such "heavy-handed" approaches to be stopped.
Questioning the statement, DMK spokesperson T K Elangovan asked why the party had refrained from identifying those responsible for the arrests.
"Who arrested Rahul Gandhi? They should condemn and explicitly mention the name of the BJP government," Elangovan told PTI Videos.
He said Rahul Gandhi was protesting over the Election Commission's failure to function as a neutral body and alleged that the Union government had prevented the Leader of the Opposition from meeting the CEC.
"It is the fundamental right of every political party to meet the CEC, but this government is not allowing the Leader of the Opposition to do so. Whom should be blamed?" Elangovan asked.
He said Rahul Gandhi was stopped and detained by the Delhi Police, which comes under the Union government, and accused the TVK of lacking the courage to name the BJP.
Asked about reports that Rahul Gandhi could visit Chennai on October 10 and share a platform with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Elangovan declined to comment.
The DMK spokesperson also criticised Vijay over his recent visit to the Perambur MLA office to receive petitions, alleging that residents of the constituency had been facing frequent power cuts.
"The power cuts are happening right in the Chief Minister's constituency, and people have been suffering. He didn't go there during those times. Now, he visits, collects petitions, and comes back. Nobody knows what he is actually going to do about it," he said.
Elangovan further accused the TVK government of failing to release water for Kuruvai paddy cultivation on June 12, claiming the crop had consequently failed and contributed to rising rice prices.
"Everybody is suffering," he said, blaming the government for the increase in commodity prices.
On law and order, Elangovan alleged that murders were being reported in Tiruvottiyur and Dindigul and claimed that four or five murders were taking place in the state every day. He described the situation as "worst" in Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from PTI)
