DMK slams TVK-led Vijay govt over ‘midnight police action’ against Gen Z wing leader

NEW DELHI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday strongly condemned the Vijay-led government's "attempt to arrest its Gen Z wing coordinator, Anbananthan Ariyappan, during a late-night operation at his residence. "The actions of the police under the TVK government, who allegedly entered a house in the middle of the night and attempted to arrest Mr. Anbananthan Ariyappan, the Gen Z wing coordinator of the DMK, are condemnable," she said in a post on X. The opposition party leader further alleged that the government was targeting young people who raise questions against those in power. It warned that attempts to silence critics would be met with resistance from Tamil Nadu's youth. "The TVK government may believe it can suppress and silence young people who question it, but the youth of Tamil Nadu will soon give an appropriate response," she added. The allegations come a day after a heated confrontation between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK in the Tamil Nadu assembly. On Tuesday, chief minister Vijay launched a sharp attack on DMK, alleging that during its previous tenure in power, funds from various government departments were diverted into what he termed "party funds." He further claimed that the previous DMK government had "siphoned" public money, drawing strong objections from opposition members. Leader of opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin immediately protested the remarks and demanded that the chief minister substantiate the allegations with evidence rather than make what he described as baseless accusations. The exchange triggered noisy scenes in the House, with DMK legislators rising in protest.