Derogatory Remarks Against Dalits: Fearing Arrest Under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, DMK MPs Seek HC Relief

Fearing their imminent arrest over a compliant file against them for making derogatory remarks against members of Scheduled Caste community, top DMK leaders and former union cabinet ministers T R Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran rushed to the Madras High Court on Saturday (May 23) seeking anticipatory bail.

Granting interim status quo on their petition, Justice M Nirmal Kumar ordered police from taking any 'coercive steps' against Maran and Baalu till May 29.

Maran and Baalu faced widespread condemnation and calls for arrest for their disparaging remarks against the members of Scheduled Caste community during press meet the MPs held on May 13 after meeting the state Chief Secretary K.Shangmugham on the prevailing COVID-19 situation in Tamil Nadu.

Maran and Baalu informed the media that the Chief Secretary humiliated the delegation and treated them like ‘oppressed citizens’ (Using a Tamil word that denotes members of scheduled caste community)

Following complaints received from various Dalit groups, an FIR was filed against them by police under Sections 3(1)(u)and 3(1) (v) of the Scheduled Caste Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Attrocities) Act, 1989.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe has also sought the arrest of Maran for his derogatory remarks against the members of SC community.

Earlier on Saturday, Rajya Sabha MP and DMK Organising Secretary RS Bharathi was arrested on Saturday (23 May) morning from his residence here, on charges of making derogatory statements against the judges and Dalits.

A speech deliverd by Bharathi on February 15 against judges and Dalits was considered insulting and a police complaint was lodged by the leader of Athi Tamilar Makkal Katchi Kalyanasundaram under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“In Tamil Nadu, after Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) became the chief minister, he appointed S Varadharajan as High Court judge followed by many others. These appointments are alms provided by the Dravidian government,” he was heard saying in a video clip that went viral.

DMK Organisation Secretary was later granted interim bail till June 1 by a city court after it was informed that the Madras High Court was already seized of a surrender application filed by him, which is coming up for hearing on Wednesday.