Karthika candidate in Dharapuram, Naam Tamilar Katchi polling candidate arrested

M. Karthika | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) functionary M. Karthika, who was among the losers in the recent by-elections in Dharapuram constituency (SC) in Tiruppur district, was arrested by the police on Tuesday (October 20, 2026) in connection with a case registered on October 4 against her and seven others, including her husband, for staging a protest when TVKhow leader Joseph Khow and Chief Tamija they staged a protest. canvassing for his party candidate P. Sathyabama. All co-accused in the case were also arrested.

Ms Karthika and her husband Murugan Chandrakumar were picked up in Coimbatore and taken to Dharapuram after being detained at the Peelamedu police station.

Earlier on October 4, Ms Karthika and 20 others were detained for blocking a road to protest the denial of permission to campaign along Mr Vijay’s route. She claimed that TVK was paying cash and gifts to voters and that the authorities were turning a blind eye.

On Tuesday, in a video widely shared on social media platforms, Ms. Karthika was seen being forcibly taken to the Dharapuram police station by women police personnel.

Remuneration policy of the TVK government: Seeman

NTK chief coordinator Seeman condemned the arrests, saying that “false allegations” had been made and that the police action reflected the “fascist and retributive” policies of the TVK government.

In a series of tweets on the X platform, Mr. Seeman said the collapse of the TVK government was not far off.

The arrest of Ms. Karthik in a “concocted case” was a “disgraceful act” rather than to rectify the law and order situation and rein in the TVK guerillas indulging in criminal activities. According to him, the TVK government is repeating the “same mistakes” committed by Dravidian parties in the past.

Mr. Seeman said he had been grooming NTK partymen to face “oppression” with courage even under the regimes of late Chief Ministers DMK (M Karunanidhi) and AIADMK (Jayalalithaa).

Demanding the immediate release of Ms Karthika and others, Mr Seeman warned that “vindictive” arrests would lead to “catastrophic consequences”.

Karthik Edition: Stalin

DMK president MK Stalin demanded Ms Karthik’s release, saying the TVK government was intimidating political opponents with arrests. In a statement, he said that women from oppressed communities who have entered politics and public life should be supported regardless of their ideology or political affiliation. “What does the TVK government want to achieve by intimidating them with arrests,” he asked.

Mr. Stalin said that when Ms. Karthika criticized the DMK and its leaders in the past, the party responded in a principled manner and clarified its stand. “We never thought of silencing her by arresting her. But the TVK government is behaving like an autocratic and undemocratic government,” he said.

Accusing the TVK government of abusing its power during the by-election, he said the arrest of a candidate for questioning the alleged misuse of power smacks of a dictatorial stance and sectarian mindset. “Police officers who arrest people for bailable offenses will face condemnation from the courts. The police should not become part of the vendetta politics of the TVK government,” he said.

Mr. Stalin claimed that the arrest was to divert public attention from the seizure of drugs by TVK officials.

Published – 20 Oct 2026 15:48 IST