A commentary published on Dinamalar claims Tamil Nadu is increasingly mirroring China in its approach to controlling dissent, alleging that the DMK-led government has, over the past five years, sought to silence criticism that once helped the party rise through public speaking and writing.
The article lists several instances involving critics and content creators. It says social media commentator Kishore K. Swamy was arrested at night and booked under the Goondas Act over remarks about C.N. Annadurai and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. It also alleges YouTuber Savukku Shankar faced repeated arrests, searches at his office and home, and threats to associates; it further claims he was granted bail with a condition not to post opinions in videos, while YouTubers who interviewed him were allegedly pressured by police.
It also cites the arrest of Felix Gerald of the ‘Red Pix’ YouTube channel for interviewing Shankar, and says Shankar was later re-arrested from Andhra Pradesh. Separately, the piece notes that in 2023, publisher Badri Seshadri was arrested early morning after comments in a YouTube interview about the Supreme Court’s handling of the Manipur violence, and that senior journalist Savithri Kannan was detained for an article in her online magazine ‘Aram’ on the Kallakurichi private school student’s death.
The commentary further claims YouTuber Maridhas was arrested for a video critical of the government and then released by a court. It alleges police act swiftly against government critics but remain passive when ruling party members are accused of wrongdoing, citing an incident where a reporter gathering information about alleged rule violations at a stone quarry linked to DMK MLA Palaniyandi was attacked, with no action taken against the MLA.
Finally, the article alleges the party’s IT wing has built a coordinated online operation, including paid personnel and pro-government YouTube channels, and that critics are targeted on Facebook and X through organised personal attacks. It names Shalin Maria Lawrence as one of those facing sustained online abuse and claims such intimidation has pushed several journalists into silence.
