On a day the police booked a DMK youth wing functionary and 21 others in Coimbatore on charges of spreading rumours about Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s health, DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin alleged that the police and ruling party’s IT wing were harassing his party cadre on the pretext of arresting those making defamatory remarks against the AIADMK supremo.
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Mr Stalin, in a statement on Sunday, cautioned, “We cannot tolerate such action any longer.”
It was matter of great concern that the police were taking action based on the complaint of the ruling AIADMK men, particularly the office-bearers of the IT wing of the party, he said. So far, the police filed cases against 52 persons and already arrested seven.
“It is the wish of everyone that the Chief Minister should recover soon and resume her duties. But in the name of inquiring gossip-mongers, the police have picked up DMK men and threatened to disable their social media accounts. This is highly condemnable,” he said. “The AIADMK seeks to create an impression that the DMK is behind the rumours and we suspect that the police is conniving with the ruling party,” he alleged.
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Mr. Stalin said anyone who had faith in freedom of expression would not accept the police action and pointed out the how the Supreme Court had intervened and annulled section 66 (A) of the Information Technology Act, which awarded punishment for sending offensive messages through communication services.
Former AIADMK Minister C. Ponnaiyan, however, denied Mr. Stalin’s charge.
Section 505 being invoked as Section 66 (A) of the IT Act can no longer be used, says DMK leader