Friendly disagreement: About the actions of the TVK government
At the heart of a democratic arrangement is the tolerance of dissent and the enforcement of the rule of law; threats to them can unravel the fabric of democracy. During the first few months of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu, at least 10 people were targeted by the police for speaking against the chief minister or his cabinet colleagues. While the case of former minister Anitha Radhakrishnan’s arrest for criticizing Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay gained attention, there were several others who were arrested or faced police action during this period. These include James Raja of Tirunelveli; V. Vishnuprabhu and T. Manojkumar, residents of Coimbatore, for a Facebook post criticizing the Chief Minister; and Thangamani of Karuru. In the case of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Gen Z wing chief A. Anbanantham, the police searched his residence, alleging that he had written “derogatory” posts regarding Mr. Vijay and his family. YouTuber Maridhas was arrested by the Chennai Cyber Crime Police for his remarks against Chief Minister and Industries Minister S. Keerthan. DMK MLA Markandayan was arrested in Thoothukudi over an alleged threat he had made against the Chief Minister. Others arrested include Vinoth Suryakumar, who commented on HR&CE Minister S. Ramesh, and RJ Saran Jayaraman, who was arrested by the police for content posted on Instagram targeting a woman who supported TVK. A case was also filed against Indrani Sudalaimuthu for remarks against S. Ramesh.
Political actors of all colors have normalized the use of the police and criminal law as a shield to protect their reputations whenever they come to power. This creates a structural risk to democracy. The police actions indicate a wider pattern of speech-related arrests and authoritarianism under the TVK government, where defamation, the IT Act and cybercrime provisions are invoked arbitrarily for any criticism of individuals in the government or the ruling party. Complaints filed by TVK cadre and suo motu action by the police targeting dissidents could unsettle the administration. The readiness with which the government is prepared to treat allegations against ministers as criminal misinformation or defamation, rather than let them run their natural course in civil litigation or political disputes, is disheartening. The new government has an opportunity to rewrite the rules of dealing with the public, to be tolerant of dissent and not to channel the power entrusted to it just to suppress the opposition. Any government interested in development could be enriched by criticism and dissent voiced on public platforms if it so chooses. They must remember that restrictions on harmful, obscene and indecent content must be balanced with an overwhelming dominance of freedom of speech.
Published – 21 Jul 2026 0:20 AM IST