Udhayanidhi Stalin seeks Srivaikuntam MLA’s removal over alleged support to sexual abuse accused

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday demanded the immediate removal of Saravanan for allegedly backing party functionaries accused of sexually abusing a woman after promising her a job.

In a post on X, Udhayanidhi alleged that the ruling party removed the victim from its membership instead of acting against the accused persons. He said the episode had triggered outrage among women, who were asking whether chief minister C Joseph Vijay was genuinely concerned about women's safety.

Citing the victim's statement, Udhayanidhi said another woman had allegedly faced a similar assault. The victim had also claimed that two ministers, including N Anand, and senior party leaders were aware of the incidents. "The accused told the victim that the party's top brass knew about it," Udhayanidhi said, asking, "Who are they?".

He also criticised Vijay over his remarks on self-discipline, alleging that the "Sofamodel government" was trying to cover up the issue. Referring to Vijay's speech at the launch of the Singapen special task force, Udhayanidhi said the CM had expressed anguish over incidents of sexual abuse but was now acting against the victim instead of those accused.

Questioning the purpose of the task force, he asked whether it had been created merely to make reels for social media. He urged the CM to ensure justice for the victim, remove MLA Saravanan immediately, identify party leaders who were allegedly aware of the incidents and take action against them.