சட்டம்-ஒழுங்கு சீர்கெட்ட நிலையில் ஊடகத்தினர் மீது அதிமுக (சசிகலா) தரப்பு ரவுடிகள் நடத்திய கொலைவெறித் தாக்குதல் வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கத்தக்கது....

DMK working president M.K. Stalin strongly condemned the vicious physical attack unleashed by political henchmen affiliated with the AIADMK Sasikala faction against media persons near the Koovathur resort on February 12, 2017. Stalin described the incident as a barbaric assault on freedom of the press and an alarming indicator of the total collapse of law and order under the ruling dispensation. Several reporters, camera operators, and technical crew members covering the political standoff sustained injuries when armed gangs assaulted them and vandalized their broadcast equipment.

Stalin underscored that an independent, uninhibited press is the fourth pillar of constitutional democracy, playing an indispensable role in informing citizens about critical governance developments. When ruling party syndicates resort to criminal violence, intimidation, and physical suppression of journalists simply because media scrutiny exposes illicit resort confinement, it reflects the behavior of an authoritarian cartel rather than a civilized political party. He noted that the police force's passive spectatorship during the assault raised troubling questions regarding administrative complicity.

The opposition leader demanded prompt registration of non-bailable criminal cases against the attackers and full compensation for damaged media equipment. He reaffirmed the DMK's unwavering solidarity with working journalists.