NEW DELHI: A political slugfest erupted on Monday after the Anna University rape convict was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the opposition AIADMK intensifying its attack on the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government—demanding answers about the identity of the individual referred to as “sir” in the FIR and questioning why he was excluded from the investigation.Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, without taking any names, reacted noting that the court commended the “excellent performance of the police in this case.”Opposition leader E Palanisami also accused of making “behind-the-scenes efforts” to shield Gananesekaran, the rape convict. “In this case, the Stalin-led DMK government made numerous behind-the-scenes efforts to shield the convict, DMK’s Gnanasekaran,” Palaniswami said in a post on X.“That’s why we still ask the question: #WhoIsThatSIR—a question seeking full justice. Who is the “SIR” mentioned in the FIR? Why was he ruled out during the investigation? Why did the DMK government rush to conclude this case by pinning the blame solely on Gnanasekaran? #WhoProtectedSIR? These questions won’t remain unanswered for long. Once @AIADMKOfficial returns to power, every truth will come to light. Even if Mr Stalin wishes otherwise, no “SIR” can be protected by any power,” he added.Reacting to this, Stalin said, “During the trial, we have completed the Chennai student’s case fairly and expeditiously in just five months, and secured a severe punishment for the culprit, much to the praise of the High Court itself. The women’s court has also come forward to praise the police for their excellent performance in this case, as the verdict has been announced. This has put to shame the thoughts of some people with limited intelligence who would seek political gain even from the injustice done to a young woman.“ BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan also hit out at Stalin government questioning how could the state government take credit for it.“He has been convicted. There should be no relaxation in his punishment. I want to mention two things- the legal process has been fast, but I don’t know how the Stalin government can take credit for it. If they are taking credit for this, then who will take responsibility for the incident?” she said.Last year, a second-year student at Anna University was sexually assaulted on campus. Following an investigation, Chennai Police arrested Gnanasekaran in connection with the incident. A Mahila Court in Chennai awarded the convict a life sentence for a minimum period of 30 years without remission and a fine of Rs 90,000.
