Chennai, Dec 27 : Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai lashed himself six times with a whip on Friday morning outside his residence in Coimbatore.

The act was part of a personal protest against the sexual assault of an Anna University student. Annamalai had announced on Thursday that he would whip himself as a symbolic act of protest against the incident.

He also vowed to not wear slippers until the DMK government is removed from power in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP leader stated that he would pray at all six temples of Lord Muruga, the revered war deity in southern India.

The former IPS officer has been leading the Tamil Nadu BJP with an aggressive approach and has been vocal in his criticism of the ruling DMK government.

Annamalai condemned the police for leaking the FIR related to the sexual assault case, which resulted in the identification of the 19-year-old victim, an engineering student at Anna University.

He accused the authorities of intentionally leaking the details and failing to ensure the safety and anonymity of the survivor.

The BJP president further alleged that the accused, Gnanashekaran, was not included in the police's rowdy list despite being involved in several criminal cases already.

He claimed that this omission was due to Gnanashekaran's close ties with DMK leaders and provided evidence of the accused's affiliation with the ruling party.

Annamalai also accused DMK of attempting to divert attention from the deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu by promoting a false narrative of a North-South divide.

The incident occurred when the victim and her male friend were sitting in a secluded area of the Anna University campus after attending a midnight Christmas mass at a nearby church.

Gnanashekaran allegedly attacked the male friend, brutally assaulting him, before dragging the girl to a nearby shrub and raped her.

The Chennai Police have faced severe criticism for the lapse in security. Authorities had earlier claimed to have implemented comprehensive safety measures for Christmas celebrations, with over 8,000 officers deployed.

/IANS