The recent murders of two opposition leaders in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ruled Tamil Nadu serve as a chilling reminder of the horrifying deaths of opposition leaders particularly those of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal. The shocking development also gave birth to a dreadful possibility of the state turning into another Bengal.
In the first instance, BJP worker Selvakumar was killed close to Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu. He hailed from Velangulam village in Sivaganga and ran a brick kiln in the same area. He was also the district secretary of the party’s cooperative wing. On the night of 27th July, an anonymous group of individuals armed with dangerous weapons attacked him using a knife when he was on his two-wheeler and fled after committing the crime. The authorities became active as the region became tense after the shocking instance.
Shocked passersby who witnessed the scene informed the police who rushed to the location and seized the body before sending it to Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital for postmortem. They have also registered a case and the matter is under investigation. BJP members and locals began to protest as they learned about the occurrence. They blocked the road and demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators after which the Superintendent of Police (SP) arrived at the spot and assured that strict action would be taken against the culprits. The demonstrators then dispersed from there.
In another shocking incident, a worker of Palaniswami’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party was viciously hacked to death in the Cuddalore area of Tamil Nadu, close to the Puducherry border. The victim was identified as Padmanabhan, a resident of Thirupapuliyur. He also owned a shop in the neighbourhood. He was heading towards Bagur village on the day of the incident when some unidentifiable individuals surrounded him which sparked a violent altercation that soon ended with his death.
Initial reports unveiled that Padmanabhan fell after the attackers rammed his two-wheeler with their four-wheeler following which they murdered him. Cops are still conducting an extensive inquiry to learn all the specifics of the case. Additionally, it has been revealed that he is the subject of an ongoing murder case, which might impact the course of the inquiry. A postmortem examination of his body has been ordered to ascertain the precise cause of death. Meanwhile, police are searching for the accused.
Notably, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu president K Armstrong was hacked to death by a gang of sex men on 5th July in Chennai. They disguised themselves as delivery agents and assaulted him with sharp weapons. They ambushed him while he was having conversations with party officials in the vicinity of his home in the Sembium neighbourhood of the city. They absconded the crime scene afterwards. He was rushed to Chennai Hospital, but he died on the way. BSP supremo Mayawati called for justice in the case and demanded “punishment for the guilty.”
