Jaya condemns arrest under stringent sections

Chennai, Feb 12 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today flayed the DMK government for invoking section 7(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act against party workers arrested yesterday for opening gruel centres for 'suffering' weavers.

In a statement here, she said it was atrocious the DMK government had invoked stiff provisions against AIADMK workers, who tried to help suffering weavers and save them from starvation deaths.

She said such provisions were usually invoked against terrorists, extremists and habitual criminals, but the 'dictatorship' DMK regime, had 'rewarded' the AIADMK workers with these provisions.

The party tried to open the centres only with the good intention of helping weavers, she said, and asked if it was a crime to prevent starvation and whether opening a gruel centre was anti-national.

The DMK government should not think that it could intimidate her party workers by foisting cases. The workers had great faith in the party's principles and they could not be cowed down by such acts, she said, adding the AIADMK was an iron fort that could not be destroyed.

Ms Jayalalithaa said protest demonstrations and agitations were accepted norms in democracy and only when opposition parties pointed out the 'misdeeds' of the ruling party, would democracy prosper.

Had the DMK provided good governnance, there would not have been need for the opposition AIADMK to launch such agitations, she added.

Over 400 party volunteers, including legislator K Hari, former minister V Somasundaram and former MP Kanchi Panneerselvam were arrested yesterday and remanded to judicial custody after they attempted to open gruel centres at various places in the state.

UNI