Annamalai Claims Anna University Sexual Assault Accused Is DMK Functionary, Shares 'Repeat' Offender's Photo With Udhayanidhi Stalin

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that the suspect apprehended for the sexual assault on a 19-year-old student from Anna University in Chennai is a "repeat offender and a DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) functionary".

While the DMK leaders have refuted the charges, BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai also posted a photo of Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Udhayanidhi Stalin pictured with the individual accused of sexual assault at Anna University.

The Tamil Nadu Police apprehended Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old biryani stall owner from Kottur, who operated his business near the Anna University campus.

It is reported that the alleged perpetrator trespassed onto the university grounds, assaulted the male companion of a second-year engineering student, and subsequently forced her into a secluded bush where he sexually abused her.

The occurrence of such an event within the grounds of a prestigious university has ignited discussions, demonstrations, and political conflict concerning the security of women in the region.

"A clear pattern emerges from the number of such cases in the past," he said, noting that a criminal gets closely linked to local DMK functionaries and then becomes a member of the party.

He also said, "All the cases registered against him get suppressed, and he gets leeway by not being categorised as a history-sheeter or kept on the watchlist of the local police station."

"How long should the people of TN put up with this? Will Thiru @mkstalin ever take any responsibility?" the BJP state chief asked.

Members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), along with other students, held protests outside the university. They demanded justice for the victim and called for effective measures to guarantee the safety of students on campus.

On Tuesday, law enforcement officials apprehended AIADMK workers, former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP state vice president Karu Nagarajan, and other leaders of the saffron party. They were protesting against the alleged sexual assault of a teenage Anna University student by an individual identified as a "DMK executive", as reported by Annamalai.

During her detention, BJP's Tamilisai informed the media that she considered the police's actions as "atrocious". She further added that their intention was to "suppress the voice" of the demonstrators.

Annamalai claimed that authorities disclosed the First Information Report (FIR), containing the victim's details, due to the perpetrator being a member of the DMK.

"DMK has failed in its basic duty to protect the details of the victims. This is not only against individual rights but also an illegal act. The Chief Minister @mkstalin is fully responsible for this," he added.