Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Chief Coordinator Seeman has strongly condemned the arrest of the party’s Dharapuram by-election candidate, Karthika, labeling the move as an act of political vendetta by the TVK government. Police from Dharapuram arrested Karthika and her husband, Murugachandrakumar, at their residence in Coimbatore on Tuesday morning.
The arrests stem from an incident during the Dharapuram by-election campaign. According to officials, Karthika had attempted to campaign along a route designated for Chief Minister Vijay’s visit to support TVK candidate Satyabhama. When police blocked her path, she staged a road blockade. Consequently, authorities registered a case against her under three sections, including charges of protesting at a police station, campaigning on the Chief Minister’s route, and making defamatory remarks against the Chief Minister.
In a statement, Seeman denounced the arrests of Karthika, her husband, and five other party members as an example of "fascism." He questioned the Chief Minister’s commitment to his stated political ideals, asking, "Is it not low-level politics to target and arrest Karthika simply because she held a protest with NTK volunteers on the route where Vijay traveled after our party was denied permission for the final day of campaigning?"
Seeman further criticized the government’s handling of law and order, contrasting the arrest of the NTK members with the lack of action in other high-profile cases. He alleged that the administration has failed to act against various TVK officials and legislators accused of serious crimes, including sexual harassment, assault on journalists, and gang rape. "If the TVK government’s police force acts as a tool for the ruling party to carry out political vendettas, is this the 'alternative politics' you promised?" he asked.
Addressing the Chief Minister directly, Seeman warned against the misuse of power and state machinery. He stated, "Do not think that my brothers and sisters will be intimidated by your oppression. We have stood our ground and fought even during the regimes of Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa." He asserted that the party’s resolve remains unshaken by legal challenges and arrests.
Concluding his statement, Seeman demanded the immediate release of Karthika, her husband, and the other detained NTK members. He warned that the government would face serious consequences if they were not released, adding that the current administration’s focus on political retaliation rather than governance would lead to its eventual downfall.
