Political repression, says TN BJP chief on NTK leader Karthika’s arrest

Chennai, Oct 21
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran has condemned the arrest of Karthika, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate in the recent Dharapuram Assembly by-election, accusing Chief Minister Vijay’s government of using the police to settle political scores.

In a post on X, Nagenthran alleged that the early-morning arrest on Tuesday of Karthika and other NTK functionaries amounted to political repression. He said retaliatory action against opponents was incompatible with healthy politics and strongly condemned attempts to silence women participating in public life.

Karthika, who contested the Dharapuram bypoll on behalf of the NTK, was arrested in connection with cases reportedly registered during the election period. The action has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the ruling TVK government of targeting political rivals.

Questioning the circumstances of the arrest, Nagenthran alleged that police entered Karthika’s residence around 5 a.m. He asked why such an operation was necessary against a woman who is the mother of two daughters.

“What kind of terrorist is Karthika that the police had to enter her house at five in the morning to arrest her?” he asked.

The BJP president questioned why the police could not have issued a summons and asked her to appear before investigators instead of taking her into custody in this manner.

He also alleged that the operation violated restrictions governing the arrest of women between sunset and sunrise. His post did not indicate whether police had obtained judicial permission for the early-morning arrest or explain the precise charges against her.

Nagenthran asked whether the treatment of Karthika reflected the respect the Vijay government extended to women in public life.

He described the action as harassment and an attempt to suppress women who express political opinions. He further accused the government of concentrating on alleged wrongdoing by opposition members while overlooking allegations involving ruling-party functionaries.

Referring to allegations of sexual offences and drug-related activities involving party members, he claimed that political hostility was diverting the government’s attention from its responsibilities.

Nagenthran urged the Chief Minister to stop using the law according to personal preferences and political dislikes and instead ensure that law enforcement agencies prioritised public safety. His criticism followed the AIADMK’s condemnation of Karthika’s arrest, adding to opposition pressure on the government over its handling of election-related cases against political opponents.