Days after BJP state president K Annamalai flogged himself in protest of the sexual assault incident at Chennai’s Anna University, TVK chief Vijay made a move that could be seen as his first strategic step as the leader of his new party. Vijay on Monday met Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and submitted a petition to ensure women’s safety in the state. Apart from TVK and the BJP, who are attacking the ruling DMK, the AIADMK has joined hands, accusing the MK Stalin-led government of shielding perpetrators, harbouring anti-social elements and failing to maintain law and order.
Now, with a storm brewing, mostly on social media, the DMK faces a tough challenge, especially with the 2026 Tamil Nadu Vidhan Sabha elections looming. Although Chennai’s mainstream media has not been seen pitching the Anna University sexual attack case aggressively, an anti-incumbency wave and the entry of Vijay into politics could make the DMK’s path even more difficult. Can the Stalin-led DMK weather the storm?
DMK GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO ANNA UNIVERSITY SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE DREW HIGH COURT IRE
A 19-year-old engineering student at Anna University was sexually assaulted on December 23, leading to the arrest of a 37-year-old man named Gnanasekaran, a street food vendor near the campus, who the police said was a habitual offender.
However, the police action was marred by criticism and controversies. The opposing AIADMK, who might contest the 2026 election along with the BJP, hit out at the DMK, saying women and girls were not safe in the latter’s regime.
The Madras High Court then initiated a suo motu proceeding, criticising the DMK government and the police for their handling of the case. The court questioned how the police commissioner could declare that the crime was committed by only one person when the investigation was still ongoing.
The Madras High Court also rebuked the DMK government for seeking credit for the arrest while the state’s primary responsibility was to prevent such crimes. Advocate Varalalakshmi, based on whose letter the High Court initiated the proceedings, claimed that the suspect had links with the DMK government. The DMK refuted the claim.
The court also appointed an all-woman Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case further. It would also probe the leak of the First Information Report (FIR), which resulted in the survivor’s identity being revealed.
MK STALIN’S DMK GOVERNMENT IN OPPOSITION’S CROSSHAIRS, ANNAMALAI LED THE WAY
The BJP, led by state president K Annamalai, was among the first to launch a strong critiqueof the DMK government. Annamalai alleged that the accused was a repeat offender involved in 15 previous cases of sexual crimes, and accused the DMK government of inaction against such criminals.
Calling the sexual assault of the Anna University student a “tipping point”, Annamalai vowed to “take down all the evil” and self-whipped himself. He also pledged to walk barefoot until the DMK was dislodged.
“Don’t you have any shame Stalin?”, “Hang accused Gnanasekharan” and “#ShameOnYouStalin”, the protest posters by the BJP said.
The BJP’s women’s wing has also hit the streets to protest against the DMK government.
This narrative was echoed by other opposition parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which accused the DMK of harbouring anti-social elements and failing to maintain law and order.
‘WHO’S THAT SIR?’ ASKS AIADMK, RECALLS DMK ACTION ON 2019 POLLACHI CASE
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has been vocal in his criticism, stating that the incident is a reflection of the DMK government’s negligence and its inability to ensure public safety. Palaniswami also attacked the state government for not having CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the premier institution.
The AIADMK then put out posters targeting the DMK that read, ‘Who is that sir?’ and ‘#saveourdaughters’,across Chennai with a Palaniswami photo on them.
The ‘who is the Sir?’ was a reference to the survivor’s complaint where she alleged that the accused received a call from someone whom he addressed as ‘Sir’ while he held her hostage and sexually assaulted her.
Contrasting the DMK regime’s handling of sexual assault cases with his own, Palaniswami recalled the transfer of the 2019 Pollachi sexual assault and blackmail case to the CBI. In contrast, Palaniswami said, the DMK government challenged the Madras High Court’s order to transfer a POCSO case from the Anna Nagar All Women Police Station to the CBI.
The AIADMK also shared photos of the accused standing next to prominent DMK leaders and claimed that the accused had political connections, and were being shielded. However, the Tamil Nadu law minister later refuted the claims, saying he was not a party member.
Palaniswami also used this opportunity to project his party as a strong contender for the 2026 assembly elections, claiming that the AIADMK-led alliance would win 200 seats and end the DMK’s rule.
VIJAY’S TVK MAKES SWIFT MOVE TO CORNER DMK OVER ANNA UNIVERSITY CASE
Actor-turned-politician Vijay, the chief of the newly formed Tamil Nadu party Thalapathy Vijay’s Kazhagam (TVK), met with Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi to demand immediate measures to ensure women’s safety and address the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Vijay’s move was seen as a significant gesture, especially given that this was one of his first major political actions since the launch of his party in October.
BJP state president Annamalai, who so far was leading the Opposition’s change against the DMK, welcomed Vijay’s stance. “Today, we welcome the fact that the president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Brother Vijay, also met and spoke to the Honourable Governor about the lack of security for women under the DMK regime,” Annamalai wrote on X.
The meeting with the Governor came after Vijay, in a letter to women of Tamil Nadu, pointed out that women were subjected to mass atrocities, disorderly conduct, and sexual crimes across the state. “We will make it possible together soon,” Vijay said in the letter.
Meanwhile, a two-member fact-finding committee from the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited Anna University to investigate the incident.
DMK FACES HEAT ON ANNA UNIVERSITY ASSAULT CASE, IMPLICATIONS FOR 2026 ASSEMBLY ELECTION
The Anna University case might have significant implications for the DMK government’s prospects in the 2026 assembly elections. The opposition’s relentless criticism and the high court’s intervention have come out as governance issues and the perceived failure of the DMK to ensure public safety.
The AIADMK, BJP, and now Vijay’s TVK are thus capitalising on this incident to erode public trust in the DMK government. The next election could also hurt the upward assent of the DMK’s second in command, Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose leadership in the 2026 polls would be carefully scrutinised.
Given the opposition parties’ sustained momentum, it could pose a substantial challenge to the DMK’s bid for reelection. The DMK’s assertion that it will win 200 seats in the 2026 elections, as claimed by MP Kanimozhi, may face serious scrutiny in light of these developments.
The Anna University case, as a result, has become a critical issue that is testing the DMK government’s resilience and governance credentials as the coming months could be crucial in determining whether the DMK can weather this storm or if the opposition’s efforts will lead to a change.
