Chennai, Nov 12 (PTI) The Dravidian majors upped the ante against the ruling TVK by filing formal complaints with top officials on Thursday, demanding the arrest of Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh for allegedly sending obscene WhatsApp messages to a woman collector.
Both the AIADMK and DMK have escalated their political pressure on the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government, pressing for legal measures against the legislator.
The rival parties moved from simple criticism through statements and social media posts to much stronger, higher-stakes actions, now raising the stakes by filing formal petitions with top officials, including the Chief Secretary, the DGP, and the Superintendent of Police.
Leaders like AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK representatives are demanding immediate criminal action, seizure of the MLA's phone, and also his arrest, turning a local controversy into a broader test of law and order for the six-months-old TVK government.
However, following a political outcry over the recent incident, Vignesh denied the allegation as "untrue".
The DMK, represented by its organisation secretary R S Bharathi sought a fair and impartial investigation into the allegations against MLA Arul Vignesh, specifically requesting a probe by the CB-CID police due to the serious nature of the case, involving a legislator and concerning an IAS officer.
Speaking to reporters after petitioning the DGP, Bharathi emphasised that the matter requires special attention to maintain law and order.
He criticised the current administration, alleging that TVK members act with impunity, citing a previous incident where a TVK cadre was released after allegedly harassing a female police officer during a public event.
In his complaint to the Director General of Police, Bharathi sought registration of an FIR, a fair, independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, sending of obscene electronic messages, intimidation of a public servant and unauthorised intrusion at the residence of the district collector of Kallakurichi, allegedly involving Arul Vignesh.
"The allegations, if true, disclose cognisable offences. They involve not only an outrage on the dignity of a woman, but also an attempt by an elected representative of the ruling party to intimidate the senior-most administrative officer of a district. Such conduct, if established, strikes at the heart of the rule of law and at the ability of officers, particularly women officers, to discharge their duties without fear or favour," he said.
Hence, an FIR should be registered forthwith, and the investigation entrusted to an independent agency such as the Crime Branch–CID, and also adequate protection be extended to the officer concerned and her family, he said.
"This complaint does not seek to pre-judge the guilt of the said MLA. It seeks only what the law requires: that allegations of this gravity be investigated fairly, promptly and independently, so that the truth is established and, if offences are made out, the person responsible is brought to justice irrespective of his political position," Bharathi said.
Earlier in the day, the AIADMK petitioned top Tamil Nadu government officials, including the Chief Secretary, demanding legal action against TVK Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh on the same issue.
"The AIADMK legal wing has filed a formal complaint with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and DGP, seeking immediate criminal action against the Kallakurichi MLA for allegedly sending obscene text messages to a woman district collector," AIADMK advocate wing secretary I S Inbadurai said on X.
The petition was submitted by AIADMK South Chennai district legal wing deputy secretary advocate R Trisuli, he said.
