Coimbatore: Police took action against the accused in the Pollachi sexual assault case only after the intervention of political parties, DMK MP Kanimozhi, who led a massive protest in Pollachi on Tuesday evening, said. “We did not politicise the issue. The police department, which did not take any action initially, acted only after political outfits raised the issue. So, it got politicised.”The DMK leader condemned the police for revealing the names of the victims. “Is is an offence to reveal the identity of victims of rape and sexual assault. Police delayed the arrest of the accused and leaked the names of the victims to stop more women from lodging complaints against the perpetrators. The accused had been sexually abusing women from 2012. So, police should reinvestigate cases of female suicides reported from Pollachi and surrounding areas from 2012,” she said.The rural police arrested Kanimozhi and 650 cadres of DMK, CPI, CPM, Congress, AAP, TMMK, KDMK, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) for conducting the protest without permission. They were later let off.Cadres of the Students Federation of India (SFI) from the Government Arts College and Government Law College also staged protests in the city demanding action against the accused.More than 30 students from the arts college boycotted classes and staged a protest in front of the college. They raised slogans and demanded the arrest of all the accused. As many as 56 SFI functionaries staged a protest near the district collectorate on Tuesday afternoon. The city police arrested 56 students and kept them in a marriage hall.As many as 25 students from the Government Law College boycotted classes and staged protest in front of the college.Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, BJP national general secretary Muralidhar Rao said the issue will not undermine the poll prospects of the NDA alliance in the state. “AIADMK is a big party and the governing party. Somewhere, something has happened, which is not desirable and not good. As a political party, they have taken action,” he said.Rao, however, added that if the AIADMK leadership is seen as insensitive or not justice-oriented, there would be a problem. “But I believe that AIADMK is conscious about the issue and will take action.”In a petition to deputy commissioner of police L Balaji Saravanan on Tuesday, AIADMK district IT wing secretary R Sasikumar said that DMK was trying to tarnish the images of AIADMK over the issue. “They also spread rumours against minister SP Velumani and deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman. Stringent action should be taken against DMK youth wing deputy organisers Ranjithkumar and S Dhandayuthapani from Sulur for spreading rumours against the ministers,” the petition said.

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