Chennai: Tamil Nadu government on Monday virtually defended the cases filed against a Tamil TV news channel and others over a debate, saying no police permission was granted for it and blamed communally sensitive remarks by some participants for the trouble at the event.
The government honoured freedom of expression but had a responsibility to take action to maintain communal harmony and law and order situation, Chief Minister K Palaniswami told the state assembly.
Responding to demands by opposition parties, led by DMK, for withdrawal of the cases, he also said a decision on their plea would be taken after completion of the probe into the trouble during the “Round Table debate on people's right to protest” conducted by ‘Puthiya Thalaimurai’ channel in Coimbatore on June 8.
Police have registered against the channel and its reporter, who had booked a private college for holding the debate, besides the participants U Thaniyarasu, MLA, and film director Ameer.
Various journalists' organisations and political parties have criticised the police action.
Raising the issue in the assembly, Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin of DMK said his party condemned filing of cases and sought their withdrawal. Congress Legislature Party leader K R Ramasamy and allies of the ruling AIADMK, Thaniyarasu (Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaignar Peravai) and M Thamimun Ansari (Jayananayaka Manithaneya Makkal Katchi) too endorsed his demand.
CM Palaniswami cited the police probe into the matter and said “action will be taken,” based on its outcome. Noting that the recent Tuticorin incidents (related to violence and police firing during the anti-Sterlite protests) were also discussed in the debate, he said such references could affect law and order situation in the port town.
