'Whip 6 times, not wear shoes till ...': K Annamalai's dramatic protest against DMK over student assault case

NEW DELHI: A new political drama erupted after Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai removed his shoes during a press conference and said he would whip himself six times, observe fast for 48 days and not wear shoes till the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government is toppled.

The state BJP president removed his shoes during the presser and said, "From tomorrow onwards until the DMK is removed from power, I will not wear any footwear."

Also read: Annamalai slams Telangana CM Revanth Reddy over Allu Arjun case

His remark came in the backdrop of ongoing protests against the state government's action in the Anna University student’s sexual harassment case.


There must be an end to this, says Annamalai
He said, "Tomorrow, I will hold a protest in front of my house, where I will whip myself 6 times. Starting from tomorrow, I will fast for 48 days and appeal to the six-armed Murugan. Tomorrow, a protest will be held in front of the house of every BJP member. From tomorrow until the DMK is removed from power, I will not wear sandals. There must be an end to this."

BJP, AIADMK stage protest; several party workers detained
Earlier today, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan and other cadres of the party were detained by the Tamil Nadu Police during protests by BJP and AIADMK.

Soundararajan who was leading the protest alleged DMK-led government of attempting to crush their voice. "This is atrocious. They want to crush our voice," Soundararajan said.


What is Anna varsity assault case
The incident came to light after a second-year student of Anna University in Chennai was assaulted by a man on the university campus on Monday night. The student also lodged a complaint at the Kotturpuram All Women Police Station.

Later, Chennai police confirmed that one person had been arrested in the case.

In a complaint registered on December 23, the student in her second year of BE of Guindy Engineering College, said that an unidentified man threatened and sexually assaulted her when she was talking to her friend on campus at around 8 pm on Monday.

During the investigation, a man Gnanasekaran (37) from Kottur was arrested. "The suspect has confessed. He runs a biryani shop on the footpath," police said.

Gnanasekharan was functionary of DMK, alleges Annamalai
On behalf on BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, Annamalai wrote to National Commission for Women and alleged that the person arrested in the case was a history sheeter with over 15 cases pending on him. In his letter, he accused that Gnanasekharan was deputy organiser of the DMK’s Saidai East student wing.


"It was reported that the accused, Gnanasekharan, was a history sheeter with over 15 cases pending on him, including a similar sexual assault case against him filed a few years back. After his pictures were made public, it came to light that the accused was a functionary of the DMK (Deputy Organising Secretary, OMK Students Wing, Saidapet East)," he wrote in his letter.


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