DMK president M. Karunanidhi and PMK leader S. Ramadoss on Saturday condemned the arrest of a senior doctor and former professor of the Madras Medical College, Dr Karunanidhi, and demanded that the case against him be withdrawn.
In a statement here, the DMK leader said the crime of Dr, Karunanidhi was that he had asked a security officer not to enter the room occupied by Tamil newspaper baron Sivanthi Adithan with his boots on.
“The doctor was arrested and hurriedly remanded to the Puzhal prison. This happened on the night Chief Minister Jayalalithaa called on Mr. Sivanthi Adithan,” he said.
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Dr. Ramadoss said Dr. Karunanidhi had been arrested because he had insisted that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s security officials and photographers wear masks before entering the ward.
“There is nothing wrong in Dr. Karunanidhi’s demand. His idea was to prevent infection. I am also a medical professional and when I decided to visit Mr. Adithan, I gave up the idea of entering his room and enquired with his wife about his health,” Dr. Ramadoss said.
The PMK leader said the hospital’s security officials refused to allow photographers into the room.
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He said law and order in the Sate had touched its nadir after the AIADMK came to power and the police were not able to set right the situation, but resorted to arresting an innocent doctor, who was held in high esteem by the medical community.
Protest deferred
Doctors' associations in the State have protested strongly the arrest and remand of the doctor on “trumped up” charges.
K.A. Jayalal of the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu State Branch, in a release said the association had petitioned the Chief Minister to drop all charges against him. If the government fails to do so, the day of his arrest will be observed as a black day in future.
The Doctors’ Association for Social Equality has issued a call for a demonstration in Chennai.
The protest planned for April 4 had to be postponed because police permission was not obtained.
The date has been pushed to April 6, when the protest will happen even if permission is not granted, according to association representative G.R. Ravindranath.