Vijay Meets Economist After Row Over His Early-Morning Detention

Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay met Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) professor Kalaiyarasan today, in what being dubbed as damage control after the economist was picked up by plain-clothes policemen in the early hours yesterday morning.The professor was detained for over two hours in a case the police later described as one of mistaken identity.Sources said the chief minister had invited the professor for the meeting. However, no official photographs of the meeting had been released at the time of writing.The meeting comes amid mounting questions over the conduct of the Tamil Nadu Police after Kalaiyarasan alleged that he was taken away without being shown a complaint, his phone was seized, and his family not informed of his detention.The incident has triggered criticism from opposition parties and even the CPM, which extends outside support to the ruling TVK government, putting the spotlight on the police force.A Case Of Mistaken Identity?Kalaiyarasan, an internationally acclaimed economist, author and public speaker, was allegedly picked up around 5 am by policemen in plain clothes over an Instagram post purportedly critical of the TVK MLA representing Pallavaram.According to the professor's account, the personnel took him in a taxi and questioned him for more than two hours. He alleged that his phone was taken away and that he was neither shown any complaint nor provided information about the grounds for the action.Police subsequently described the episode as a case of mistaken identity.However, the professor has sought action over what he considers unlawful detention and harassment. In a complaint to the Director General of Police, Kalaiyarasan raised concerns that the Instagram account in question could have been fabricated to target and malign people like him.The controversy has acquired a political dimension because Kalaiyarasan had recently spoken in an interview about the sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities in Tamil Nadu.CPM, MK Stalin Demand AccountabilityCPM Tamil Nadu state secretary Shanmugam was among the first to condemn the police action, questioning whether it pointed to a situation in which the police were acting with excessive authority.He argued that even if a complaint had been received, the police could have issued a summons and sought an explanation instead of picking up a respected academician in the early hours of the morning.DMK president MK Stalin also condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the chief minister and the police chief.Stalin alleged that Kalaiyarasan was targeted because he had highlighted what he described as an unprecedented rise in prices under the TVK government.In a pointed political remark, Stalin said he had not imagined that an academic would be arrested because the ruling party was "allergic to knowledge".Law Minister ApologisesTamil Nadu Law Minister Nirmal Kumar described the incident as a mistake and apologised to Kalaiyarasan. His response came amid questions about what had gone wrong in the police action and whether the department had followed the prescribed procedures and supreme court guidelines.