Nattu Tamilar Katchi (NTK) functionary M Karthika attacked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Friday for his actions when she walked out of Coimbatore Central Prison on bail and appealed to her supporters to be peaceful supporters.
In front of supporters after her release, Karthika said Vijay’s administration under the state government is “unconstitutional” and that she believes he’s trying to curb the democratic rights of opposition candidates. Vijay was the “theeya sakthi” (to put it another way, “bad energy”), a Tamil word translated as evil force and bad energy in a swipe against the government.
Karthika was arrested along with her husband and NTK party workers in relation to a protest in a Dharapuram constituency election campaign in which she was campaigning and was subsequently granted bail and released from custody. The protest and arrests are turning into political battles, as Karthika has said she was doing her job as an election candidate.
“Campaigning, trying to get votes and communicating the party’s message to the public are fundamental parts of the democratic process and so must be done,” she said. Police action against her and her fellow party workers violated the rights she and her fellow workers had, she said. The protest, the allegations of the case and the bail terms would need to be assessed from police and court records.
Karthika spoke to supporters and media outside the prison to say her actions were within the constitutional framework and she should be allowed to campaign freely. “The intention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is unconstitutional. We were exercising our constitutional rights. I am a candidate, and I should demand votes, propagate and campaign for my party. I was only doing my constitutional duty,” she said.
Her comments were a good example of her thesis that she will carry out politically: during the election period, candidates should be free to talk to voters and participate in campaign activities and not be constrained by what she called unnecessary rules. The kerfuffle also makes political campaigning, public protests and law enforcement an integral part of the law enforcement-political campaign. Karthika has described the arrest as an infringement of democratic rights, but the legal issues for this incident are still being addressed, and documents are being kept.
#WATCH | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: NTK leader M. Karthika, released on bail from Coimbatore Central Prison, says, "... The intention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is unconstitutional. We were exercising our constitutional right, but he intends to bring the entire Dharapuram constituency under his control, which is unconstitutional. Therefore, we are fighting against him..."
— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2026
The NTK chief also accused the ruling administration of trying to take full political control over the Dharapuram constituency. Opposition candidates were being sidelined, and the government’s approach is against the Constitution, she said. “He intends that the entire Dharapuram constituency should be under his and his party’s complete control, which is completely against the Constitution.
That is why we are fighting against him,” Karthika said. She later went on to call Vijay “theeya sakthi” of Tamil Nadu. She added, “The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is the only bad energy in Tamil Nadu.” Karthika’s comments are political attacks against the Chief Minister and his government and cannot be seen as independent facts about the government’s conduct.
Karthika also said her release would not mean a halt to her political campaign and opposition to the government. She said she would continue to raise issues that affect the people and said, “We’re protesting against him, and we will never leave that fight. We will always be on the ground for the people.”
She said the arrest and release will be part of NTK’s political message in Dharapuram. The party’s supporters, who were in large numbers outside the prison, were surely there in support of the candidate. The reception was a political one, with garlands and flower petals and party flags and slogans. Karthika’s comments also suggest that she intends to use the episode to reinforce her claim that opposition voices must be allowed to operate freely within the democratic system.
Police were in very heavy security around Coimbatore Central Prison to control the huge number of NTK supporters and the situation in the vicinity. The move was to control the crowd and provide safe roads for vehicles as cadres were waiting to meet Karthika. Her release and Vijay's criticisms brought political issues of the Dharapuram constituency and elections in Tamil Nadu into the light.
The episode brings politics, campaigning, law enforcement issues and the rights of opposing candidates together. The arrest and legal proceedings are still relevant to the situation. Karthika has publicly pledged to continue her political struggle, and so far her comments have brought the confrontation between the NTK functionary and the Chief Minister to the fore.
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