Tiruppur, December 18: Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K. Annamalai was arrested on Thursday from Tiruppur along with other party workers allegedly for taking part in a protest without official permission. The BJP claimed that the protests were held against the dumping of waste in Tamil Nadu's city of Tiruppur.
The protesters were demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against the villagers of Iduvai for the protests held on December 16. The BJP Alleged that the Tamil Nadu Government led by MK Stalin was irked over the party supporting the villagers against the decision of dumping waste into their village.
The cases were registered after villagers allegedly attempted to stop garbage-laden lorries of the Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation from dumping waste in their locality. Residents from several nearby villages have been opposing the dumping of city waste at Chinnakalipalayam, citing health and environmental concerns.
Police had reportedly denied permission for the protest near the Tiruppur Kumaran Statue, citing law and order reasons. Despite this, Annamalai joined the residents and supporters at the site, following which police detained him and other protesters.
Tamil Nadu BJP said in a social media post:
"STOP IT, STALIN!
The fact that the government at Arivalayam has gone to the extreme of tormenting the people of Tamil Nadu with repression â where even saying âyesâ leads to jail and asking âwhyâ leads to exile â is shameful.
Residents are protesting the DMK governmentâs cruel decision to set up a garbage dump in the Iduvai area of Tiruppur and dump all of Tiruppur cityâs waste there. As their environment and health have been put at risk, the people have been strongly protesting this decision for over a month now. In this situation, the DMKâs enforcement machinery unleashed repression yesterday and arrested the protesters. Today, the authorities have gone a step further by arresting BJPâs former state president Mr. Annamalai, who went to the area in person to support the peopleâs protest.
Chief Minister Mr. M. K. Stalin, if you think that by arrogantly suppressing those who are fighting for justice, no one will dare to oppose your governmentâs injustices and that people will withdraw in fear, you are making a grave miscalculation. If you want to somehow hold on until the elections, rein in your excesses. Let this lawlessness stop. Let the oppression end."
The BJP also said, "In the context of ongoing protests by residents of five villages against the dumping of waste from Tiruppur city at Chinnakalipalayam village, the Stalin government's action of arresting our former state president, Mr. @annamalai_k, who participated in the protest in support of those people, is strongly condemnable..!"
The situation in Tiruppur remains tense as protests continue over the waste dumping issue, with residents demanding a permanent solution from the authorities.
