No Dalit is safe in Tamil Nadu under DMK rule: BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla on BSP leader's murder

CHENNAI: Attacking the DMK government in Tamil Nadu over the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party state president K Armstrong, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla said on Saturday that "no Dalit is feeling safe" in the state.

He also attacked the Tamil Nadu government over the Kallkurichi hooch tragedy and asked why "no action" has been taken till now.

"The law and order situation in Tamil Nadu has completely gone out of hand. MK Stalin is directly responsible, as he is the Home Minister as well. When K Armstrong, a Dalit BSP leader of Tamil Nadu is killed at 7 pm with heavy weapons in Chennai, who is safe? No Dalit feels safe in Tamil Nadu," Poonawalla told ANI.

"65 Dalits lost their lives in Kallkurichi hooch tragedy but no action was taken? Does the Chief Minister have any moral right to continue? Where are the INDI alliance leaders?.. Rahul Gandhi did not speak a word about the entire killing of so many Dalits in Kallakurichi. Will he visit the houses of these Dalits? This shows his selective outreach."

Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai also attacked the DMK government after the incident.

"Yesterday, a party leader was hacked to death. There is no guarantee for a common man's life in this DMK-led state government," Annamalai said at the BJP's state executive committee meeting.

Union Minister and BJP leader L Murugan also condemned the killing of Armstrong and said the DMK government has failed to maintain law and order in the state.

"A National Party's state president was unable to survive because of the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. The DMK government has totally failed to maintain law and order in the state," Muruganm told ANI.

Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu chief of BSP was hacked to death by a mob of unidentified men near his residence in Perambur, Chennai.

Chennai police have secured eight suspects so far and formed a special team to investigate the murder of the BSP leader.

Meanwhile, the body of the slain leader has been kept in the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

Referring to the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed over 60 lives earlier last month, the Union Minister asked why Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Hathras but not Kallakurichi.

"10 days ago, almost 70 people died due to illicit liquor... The Tamil Nadu CM controls the Police and Home Ministry and he is failing at it. Rahul Gandhi is visiting Hathras but he does not know where Kallakurichi is. Political leaders are being murdered, they don't have safety; where is the state headed?" he asked.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin expressed grief over the incident and paid condolences to the family of the slain leader.

He further said the police have been ordered to conduct the case expeditiously and bring the culprits to justice as per the law.

Taking to 'X', CM Stalin wrote, "Bahujan Samaj Party State President Armstrong's assassination is shocking and deeply saddening. The police arrested those involved in the murder overnight."

"I would like to convey my deepest condolences to all of Armstrong's party members, family, relatives, and friends who are bereaved, and I have ordered the police officers to conduct the case expeditiously and bring the culprits to justice as per the law," he added.

BSP Chief Mayawati has also condemned the gruesome killing of the party's Tamil Nadu president, asking the state government to "punish the guilty."

"The gruesome killing of K. Armstrong, Tamil Nadu state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president, outside his Chennai house is highly deplorable and condemnable. An advocate by profession, he was known as a strong Dalit voice in the state. The state government must punish the guilty," Mayawati said in a post on X on Friday.