‘Shocked’ actor Vijay slams Chennai's Anna university sexual assault, demands ‘swift action’
The second-year engineering student was sitting with her male friend in the campus, when two men attacked the latter and then sexually assaulted her in a bush.
Actor-politician Vijay has condemned the sexual assault of a second-year engineering student inside Chennai's Anna University campus, urging the Tamil Nadu government to take "swift legal action" against the accused.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party chief on Wednesday said the incident was "deeply shocking and painful".
Two men inside the campus attacked the survivor and her male friend in the early hours of Wednesday. The woman was sitting on the campus along with her friend in an open area when the perpetrators attacked and thrashed the male friend. They then dragged the survivor into the bushes and sexually assaulted her.
The survivor and her friend are students at the university.
In a post on X, Vijay said that though police have informed him of the arrest made in the case, he urged the MK Stalin-led government to "take swift legal action against him and ensure that he is punished accordingly".
Notably, the 37-year-old accused ran a biryani stall near the campus.
"Furthermore, if anyone else was involved in this heinous crime, appropriate action should also be taken against them promptly," he added.
The actor further noted the need to install CCTV cameras, smart poles, emergency buttons, telephones, etc., to ensure women's safety across the city. For this, he said that the Nirbhaya fund, which is allocated every year, could be used.
"...Ensure women's safety in all city buses, provide women's toilet facilities in public places, provide emergency telephones and mobile apps for women's safety, and ensure the safety of women in all places including educational institutions, private institutions, and public places," his X post in Tamil read.
Additionally, he said, that merely installing these facilities would not be enough. It is also essential to continuously monitor whether they are properly functioning, Vijay added.
"In doing these, appropriate safety precautions should be taken without any compromise. It is also necessary to create adequate legal assistance and psychological awareness so that women can defend themselves with mental strength in any situation," he said.
Vijay also requested the "government to create this awareness among women during their education period".
ALSO READ | Sexual assault inside Chennai's Anna University campus sparks outrage
Protest over sexual assault of 19-year-old student
The sexual assault of the 19-year-old student has sparked widespread rage and political tussle in Tamil Nadu.
Students were seen protesting in and around the university, raising questions over the safety of the students.
Political leaders also targeted the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led government over the "rise" in crimes against women, a charge which the ruling party has denied.
State BJP chief K Annamalai also expressed shock over the incident and alleged that the accused is "a repeat offender and a DMK functionary".
Annamalai slammed the state government and asked whether chief minister MK Stalin will "ever take any responsibility".
Amid the growing outrage, "Shame On You Stalin" hashtag was also seen to be increasingly used on social media platforms, especially on X, formerly Twitter.
