A political dispute has intensified in Tamil Nadu after a DMK legislator was detained for alleged threats against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. The lawmaker asserted that officers pointed a gun at him and attempted to assault him during custody.
The representative for the Vilathikulam constituency was taken into custody on Monday after a TVK official lodged a complaint regarding comments made at a public event in Kovilpatti on July 18. A recording of the speech circulated widely online, in which the legislator reportedly warned that locking the assembly as suggested would result in broken bones.
Following extended interrogation, the MLA appeared before a court and received 14 days of judicial remand. While being taken to a government hospital for a medical check, he told reporters that officers had tried to strike him and issued threats with a firearm, claiming his safety was at risk.
DMK leaders condemned the detention as politically motivated. The party president questioned adherence to legal standards, alleged denial of lawyer access, and accused authorities of targeting critics. A DMK parliamentarian also called for the legislator’s release, stating the administration could not accept dissent.
Police confirmed the arrest stemmed from the TVK complaint and registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The legislator argued that arrest required assembly speaker approval, while supporters protested outside his home. The incident follows a similar detention of another DMK figure weeks earlier.
