Stalin condemns economist’s detention over fake Instagram account, seeks apology

• Economist A. Kalaiyarasan was detained over an abusive Instagram comment, then released after police established that he had no connection with the account

• DMK president M.K. Stalin condemned the early-morning action and alleged that the academic was targeted for criticising rising prices

• Stalin demanded an unconditional apology from chief minister C. Joseph Vijay and the police

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Thursday condemned the detention of economist A. Kalaiyarasan over an abusive Instagram comment attributed to an account using his photograph, demanding an unconditional apology from chief minister C. Joseph Vijay and the Tamil Nadu police.

Kalaiyarasan, an academic at the Madras Institute of Development Studies and co-author of The Dravidian Model, was taken from his Chennai residence early on Wednesday in connection with a comment targeting Pallavaram TVK MLA J. Kamatchi.

He was brought home nearly three hours later after police established that he had no involvement with the account. Sankar Nagar police inspector Rajasekar said the account carried the economist’s name and photograph, but denied allegations of harassment.

Stalin described the police action as the “peak of fascism” and accused the TVK government of attempting to intimidate an academic who had spoken about rising prices under the current administration.

The former chief minister alleged that plainclothes officers arrived at Kalaiyarasan’s home at dawn, took away his mobile phone and transported him in a hired vehicle without following proper procedure.

He questioned the explanation that the detention resulted from mistaken identification, arguing that the economist’s identity and public standing were well known.

Stalin also asked whether the action had been taken with the approval of the chief minister and senior officials. He accused the government of adopting methods he associated with the BJP and alleged that its conduct towards critics was even more authoritarian.

The DMK leader said Kalaiyarasan was not affiliated with any political party and had also criticised the previous administration. He alleged that the economist was being targeted for drawing attention to increases in the prices of essential commodities.

Kalaiyarasan holds a doctorate in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. His academic work includes The Dravidian Model, published by Cambridge University Press.

Highlighting his professional background, Stalin cited his work with the Union Planning Commission’s team, contributions to Tamil Nadu’s economic survey and membership of the state’s Climate Change Governing Council.

The DMK chief demanded that the police and Vijay apologise unconditionally for what he described as harassment and false allegations against the economist.

With PTI inputs