Madurai collector's no' to anti-CM plea
The student said that democratic space is shrinking in Tamil Nadu and there was no protection for human rights defenders.
Madurai: A visual communication student has sought the arrest of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, saying that he was the one who instigated the people’s protest against ONGC at Kathiramamgalam village by implementing anti-people policies.
Submitting a petition in this regard to Madurai district collector Veera Raghava Rao during the general grievances day at the collectorate on Monday, Gurumurthy Gokul, studying first year Visual Communication in a private college here said,” I welcome the Chief Minister's statement that protesters and people who are instigating them will be punished. Police should arrest the CM too because he was the one who implemented anti-people’s policy such as the hydrocarbon and methane projects in Tamil Nadu.”
Condemning state government for detaining Valarmathi, a second-year journalism student for distributing pamphlets against the hydro carbon project last week, and ‘May 17 Movement’ leader Thirumurugan Gandhi for organising a peaceful candlelight vigil in remembrance of Tamils who were massacred by the Sri Lankan army in Mullivaikal in 2009 at Marina beach on May 21.
The student said that democratic space is shrinking in Tamil Nadu and there was no protection for human rights defenders. District collector Veera Raghava Rao refused to accept his complaint. Meanwhile, members of the Nature Protection Council also organised a meeting in the evening and condemned state government for detaining Valarmathi under the ‘Goondas Act’.