Constitutional values, rule of law should be upheld: MIDS academic Kalaiyarasan after meeting CM Vijay

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A. Kalaiyarasan, an Associate Professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, who was on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) picked up by the Chennai police for inquiry over a social media post falsely linked to him, said the Tamil Nadu government should uphold constitutional values and the rule of law and ensure such lapses never happen again.

Speaking to The Hindu after meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat on Thursday (October 29), Mr. Kalaiyarasan said, “The Chief Minister expressed regret, at least twice, for what happened. He owned up to the responsibility.”

Nonetheless, the academic felt, the job does not end there. “It is not about one particular individual. We should build our police system in such a way that it promotes a State-citizen relationship based on democratic values. The right compensation and justice for what has happened would be for the State government to ensure that this does not happen again, particularly to any youth. Constitutional values and the rule of law should be upheld,” he said.

He also thanked DMK president M.K. Stalin, CPI (M) State secretary P. Shanmugam, VCK president Thol. Thirumavalvan, and others who voiced concerns in support of him.

Earlier on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Minister for Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said the arrest of Prof. Kalaiyarasan was a mistake by the police. The academic was let off by the police subsequently, he had said.

“It was a mistake by the local police station. I spoke to him immediately, as well as to the City Police Commissioner. Some other Cabinet colleagues also spoke to Mr. Kalaiyarasan and expressed regret,” the Minister had told journalists in Chennai.

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