DMK MP files complaint against Vijay, minister over POCSO remarks
What's the story
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Rajya Sabha MP J Constandine Ravindran has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India. The complaint is against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and sports minister Aadhav Arjuna for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and a Madras High Court order. The alleged violations pertain to comments made on an ongoing Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case during an election rally for the Madurantakam Assembly bypoll.
Legal breach
Alleged violation of court order
Ravindran's complaint alleged that Vijay and Arjuna violated a Madras High Court order by linking the ongoing POCSO case against granite baron R Veeramani to the DMK.
The court had specifically directed TVK representatives not to make such links.
The DMK MP argued that these speeches were made in Tamil before large public gatherings, telecast by television channels, and widely circulated on social media platforms.
Timing issue
Rally held on same day as HC direction
The rally where these remarks were made took place on Friday, the same day the High Court issued its direction.
During this event, Vijay alleged that the POCSO case against Veeramani was "buried" by the previous DMK regime under MK Stalin. Arjuna echoed this claim.
However, Stalin has denied these allegations.
Case details
Granite baron arrested in Pocso case
Veeramani, the chairman of Gem Granites, was arrested last month along with two accomplices for sexually abusing a minor girl in Chennai in 2019.
The case was registered in October 2025 after investigators received a video clip allegedly showing the industrialist sexually assaulting a minor.
The ongoing investigation has uncovered several survivors who were reportedly abused by him over the years.