CHENNAI: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Karthika, who contested the Dharapuram Assembly by-election, was arrested by police on Tuesday (October 20) in connection with a protest held during the election campaign.
According to a Daily Thanthi report, Dharapuram police arrested Karthika and her husband at their residence in Coimbatore and took them to the Dharapuram police station for questioning. Karthika is also the state coordinator of the NTK women's wing.
During the Dharapuram bypoll campaign, NTK members attempted to campaign near the Veerachimangalam junction. However, police denied permission, citing Chief Minister Vijay's scheduled roadshow along the same route.
Opposing the restriction, Karthika and other NTK members argued with police, accusing them of acting in favour of the ruling party and deliberately preventing their campaign.
The party members then staged a road blockade in protest.
Police subsequently registered a case against Karthika under three sections for allegedly blocking the road designated for the Chief Minister's convoy and surrounding the police station.
NTK chief coordinator Seeman condemned the arrest of Karthika and Dharapuram constituency party functionary Sanjay Gandhi.
DMK president MK Stalin also criticised the arrests in a post on X, accusing the TVK government of acting against opposition voices.
Stalin said women from marginalised communities entering public life should be encouraged, regardless of political differences.
He questioned what the government hoped to achieve by arresting and intimidating such women.
Referring to Karthika's earlier criticism of the DMK and its ideological leaders, Stalin said his party had responded through political arguments rather than attempting to silence women leaders through arrests.
He accused the TVK government of lacking tolerance and democratic values and described its actions as authoritarian.
Stalin further alleged that the ruling party had misused its power during the by-election and that the arrest of NTK functionaries for questioning such actions demonstrated political intolerance.