Chennai: Amid a spate of arrests of prominent personalities in Tamil Nadu, Union minister from the state Pon Radhakrishnan has alleged that there is a Maoist angle to the unrest and protests. Maoists, he said, have infiltrated multiple spheres and unrest is brewing in the state because the government of E Palaniswami has not taken proper action.
The call for strong hand tactics has caused concern among activists, who already expressed fear that the state is turning into a police state, bent on violating the rights of citizens. There are concerns that anyone raising voice against the government - environmentalists, advocates, rights activists, students, even farmers and journalists - will be labelled and targeted.
"Extremists have infiltrated into many sections in Tamil Nadu - political parties, even media... the Chief Minister must give a free hand to the police to act and clean this up," said Radhakrishnan, who earlier alleged that even the protests over lifting the ban on the annual bull-taming sport Jallikattu was a dry run for urban Maoists.
Besides Jallikattu, over the last months, the state has witnessed protests over a Sterlite plant at Tuticorin, appointment of vice-chancellors to prominent Universities, National Eligibility Entrance Tests for admission to medical colleges and most recently, over a proposed 8-lane expressway between Chennai and Salem.
Last week, advocate Vanchinathan was arrested on accusations of inciting trouble, rioting and criminal intimidation during last month's anti-Sterlite protests in Tuticorin. The First Information Report against him was filed long before the firing and violence in Tuticorin. Actor Nilani was sent to 15 days in jail for allegedly impersonating the police. This was for a video she had put out dressed as a police officer, soon after the Tuticorin firing incident, voicing her protest against the violence in Thoothukudi. She had clarified in the video that she was dressed like that for a shooting.
