Politics
Tamil Nadu Police Mistake Prompted Call for Constitutional Safeguards, Academic Urges Reform
Associate Professor A. Kalaiyarasan of the Madras Institute of Development Studies was taken by Chennai police for inquiry on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after a social‑media post was wrongly linked to him. After meeting Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat on Thursday, October 29, Kalaiyarasan told The Hindu that the CM had expressed regret twice and accepted responsibility for the incident. He said the matter is not about a single individual but about strengthening the police system to foster a state‑citizen relationship grounded in democratic values. Kalaiyarasan called for compensation and justice and urged the state government to prevent similar incidents, especially for young people. He thanked DMK president M.K. Stalin, CPI (M) state secretary P. Shanmugam, VCK president Thol. Thirumavalvan and others who voiced support.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said the arrest was a mistake by the local police station. He stated that Kalaiyarasan had been released by the police and that he and other cabinet colleagues had spoken to the professor and expressed regret.
Published – October 29, 2026 10:34 pm IST
Frequently asked questions
Why was Associate Professor A. Kalaiyarasan taken by Chennai police?
He was taken for inquiry after a social‑media post was wrongly linked to him.
What did Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay say about the incident?
He expressed regret twice and accepted responsibility for the incident.
What did Tamil Nadu Minister for Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar say about the arrest?
He said the arrest was a mistake by the local police station, Kalaiyarasan had been released, and cabinet colleagues had spoken to him and expressed regret.