Chennai, 20 July (H.S.): DMK MLA from Vilathikulam Markandeyan was arrested in the early hours of Monday after allegedly making threatening remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay during a public meeting in Kovilpatti, triggering a major political controversy in the state.

The legislator was taken into custody from his residence in Vilathikulam following complaints over a speech delivered at a DMK public meeting held on Sunday night at the Krishnan Kovil Grounds. Videos of the speech quickly went viral on social media, prompting widespread criticism and calls for immediate action against the MLA.

The meeting was presided over by Karunanidhi MLA and attended by several senior DMK functionaries, including union secretaries Beekilipatti Murugesan, Radhakrishnan, Jayakannan, Subramanian, Karuppasamy and Chinnapandian.

During his address, Markandeyan launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Vijay over recent political developments and the functioning of the State Assembly. In remarks that sparked outrage, he allegedly warned that if the Assembly was convened, the Chief Minister's bones would not remain intact and claimed that DMK legislators would break his bones and send him back. The comments were widely interpreted as a direct threat against the Chief Minister.

Soon after the videos surfaced online, opposition parties and several public figures condemned the speech, accusing the MLA of resorting to violent and provocative rhetoric against a constitutional authority. Demands for criminal proceedings intensified through the night.

Police arrested Markandeyan during the early hours of Monday and escorted him for questioning. Supporters of the MLA gathered outside his residence and attempted to prevent the police vehicle from leaving, raising slogans against the action. Police later dispersed the protesters and cleared the road.

Officials said the MLA was taken to the office of the Superintendent of Police for interrogation and is expected to be produced before a court. The arrest has further heightened the political confrontation between the ruling government and the DMK, with the investigation continuing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman