Reacting to the FIRs filed against him and Deputy Leader in the Legislative Assembly Duraimurugan, Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin “thanked” the Government and the police for not arresting him. Earlier in the day, party president M. Karunanidhi held consultations with some leaders on the development.
Emerging from the meeting, party Rajya Sabha MP T.K.S. Elangovan said “We will consult legal experts (on our next move)”.
In a related move, the police tightened security in and around the Secretariat complex placing barricades at strategic locations, ahead of Monday’s Assembly session in which Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will present the Home Department’s demand for budgetary grants. Entry shall be allowed only through one gate and even journalists covering the Assembly proceedings have been asked to be in the Secretariat complex by 9 a.m.
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Incidentally, on Monday evening, Mr. Stalin and Mr. Duraimurugan are scheduled to attend a public meeting in Chennai presided over by Mr. Karunanidhi to highlight the alleged lack of democratic functioning of the Speaker.
According to a senior police officer, the first FIR was registered against Mr. Stalin and 40 others on August 18 based on a complaint filed by sub-inspector Balu manning Gate No. 4 at the Secretariat.
The other case was registered against Mr. Stalin and 60 others the next day on a complaint from Ms. Tamilselvi, who was posted at Gate No. 4.
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“Prominent DMK MLAs named in the FIRs include Duraimurugan (who played the role of the ‘Speaker’ at the mock Assembly session), A.V. Velu, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, T.M. Anbarasan, M. Subramanian and P.K. Sekar Babu,” the officer said.
In a related development, Chennai Police Commissioner T.K. Rajendran on Saturday issued an order transferring Flower Bazaar Deputy Commissioner of Police R. Sakthivel as Superintendent of Police Coastal Security Group, Ramanathapuram. The Secretariat falls within the Flower Bazaar zone. Washermenpet Deputy Commissioner of Police S. Jeyakumar would be holding additional charge of Flower Bazaar.
Meanwhile Mr. Stalin, who arrived at the Chennai airport in the evening, said security was being heightened at the Secretariat to create an impression that law and order was under threat. He added that it was an irony that this was being done just ahead of the tabling of the Home Department’s budgetary demand.