TVK Executive Arrested For Sexual Assault In Salem, Obscene Clips Seized

The Salem City Police arrested a forty-year-old man on Friday night following serious allegations of sexual assault, blackmail, and the illicit recording of obscene videos involving multiple women.

The arrest of the grocery-shop owner followed the viral spread of an audio clip on social media. In the clip, a woman accused Manikandan, a vocal supporter of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, of sexually assaulting her and recording the act on his mobile phone to blackmail her against going to the authorities, The Hindu reported.

Furthermore, the victim claimed to have discovered numerous explicit videos of different women stored on his device. She has claimed to have deleted around 50 obscene videos even as she stayed with him.

The case quickly escalated into a political flashpoint, drawing sharp criticism from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which used the incident to slammed the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed deep concern over the allegations on social media, drawing parallels to past controversies.

She demanded that the perpetrator face strict legal punishment and that the safety and justice of all affected women be guaranteed. In a post on X, she warned that just as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government tried to cover up the Pollachi sexual assault case, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam must not attempt to shield the perpetrators involved in this heinous act.

Speaking at a party women's wing and volunteers' advisory meeting, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President and former Chief Minister MK Stalin launched a sweeping political attack the TVK leadership. He highlighted the hypocrisy between pre-election promises and current events, stating that while the party president previously promised his cadres would safeguard women, the public now faces a situation where they must be safeguarded from those very cadres.

Stalin further accused the TVK leadership of mirroring Bharatiya Janata Party tactics by poaching legislators from other parties, specifically targeting the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He remarked that lawmakers are resigning to switch parties before the election ink even fades from voters' hands, calling the current political shifts a shame.

In his closing remarks, Stalin urged the women's wing to take this message directly to the public, emphasizing that his movement is a knowledge-based political body with a deep historical policy that stands in stark contrast to its rivals.