Tamilisai defends action, asks leaders if they will tolerate such remarks

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, she asked if other political leaders were okay with someone raising such slogans against them, especially on a flight. Taking a dig at the DMK, she said its cadre had once attacked the BJP office here over a VHP leader’s remarks against former chief minister the late M Karunanidhi at the height of the controversy over the Sethusamudram navigation channel project in 2007.

“Will you tolerate if someone raises slogans against you on a flight. Will the same leaders remain quiet if they are faced a with a similar situation?” she asked.

There are “appropriate” forums to exercise freedom of expression, she said and demanded that Sofia’s background be checked.

Meanwhile, as the BJP and Tamilisai, on whose complaint the woman was arrested, came under fire for “crushing” freedom of expression, the ruling AIADMK defended the police action, saying if such conduct was allowed, political leaders could face a security issue.

State Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar accused the woman of seeking publicity and said she could have opted for more democratic avenues to express her views.

“One can express their opinions or stage a protest in democratically approved places, can speak from a platform. Such avenues should be used to exercise freedom of expression. But some do such things for publicity for self-promotion,” he told reporters in Chennai.

He said an aircraft or airport was a public place under the jurisdiction of the Centre. “No democrat would accept someone raising slogans there or behaving in a way not in keeping with democracy,” the Minister said.

“If this practice is allowed, no leader can go to a railway station or airport. One group will shout slogans against Stalin too inside the airport. This will end up becoming a security issue for political leaders,” he said.