Colleagues of MIDS professor Kalaiyarasan and members of academic community “strongly” condemned the harassment meted out to him by the Tamil Nadu police based on misinformation.

In a statement, 17 academics, said “it is shocking that the police thought it fit to pick him up from his residence in the early hours of the morning without following any procedural protocol”.

While such random and lawless police action is condemnable against any citizen, the fact that he is part of MIDS, a premier academic institution in Tamil Nadu and India, makes it all the more shocking, they said

“It is reassuring to know that the Chief Minister has met Dr. Kalaiyarasan and expressed regret. Standing in solidarity with him, we urge the government to take needful action against those responsible, prevent such incidents in future, and ensure academic freedom.”