Video screengrab
Credit: X/@annamalai_k
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai was taken into custody in Tiruppur on Thursday, December 18, along with several hundred supporters after they staged a protest without police permission, demanding that cases booked against residents of Iduvai village be withdrawn.
The protest was linked to an incident on December 16, when residents of Iduvai attempted to stop garbage trucks operated by the Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation from dumping waste in their locality. Following the incident, police had registered cases against villagers, triggering political backlash and public protests.
According to the police, permission for the demonstration had been denied, citing law and order concerns. The protest was planned near the Tiruppur Kumaran statue. Despite the permission being denied, Annamalai and his supporters assembled at the spot, leading to their detention, police said.
Addressing supporters before his arrest, Annamalai accused the police of curbing democratic rights by denying permission for what he described as a peaceful protest. He alleged that while citizens were being prevented from voicing grievances, the police had failed to adequately protect women and children from harassment. He also warned that public resistance would continue in different forms across the city if the cases against the villagers were not dropped.
Annamalai further alleged that the Tiruppur civic administration was mishandling waste management and claimed that Mayor N Dinesh Kumar was allowing garbage to pile up in residential areas due to vested interests.