Real culprits behind Dalit leader Armstrong's murder not yet arrested: VCK chief Thiruma
The Chidambaram MP said it was the duty of the government and the police to safeguard Dalits in the state.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati and VCK Chief Thol Thirumavalavan paid their last respects to slain state party chief K Armstrong (Photo: Hemanathan M)
CHENNAI: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Sunday condemnded the murder of Dalit leader K Armstrong, terming it "an act of cowardice", and demanded that the real culprits behind the heinous crime should be arrested, as reported by Thanthi TV.
Speaking to the media after paying his last respects to the slain leader in Perambur here, he claimed that the real culprits have not yet been arrested in connection with the murder and urged the police to do their job and probe the network that committed such murders.
From the common Dalits to the Dalit political leaders in the state, nobody was feeling safe anymore, he said, adding that it was the duty of the government and the police to safeguard them. Thirumavalavan added that he hoped the state intelligence would be more careful in the future and ensure such incidents do not recur.
The VCK leader remembered Armstrong as the voice of the voiceless who strived to take BR Ambedkar's principles and the tenets of the Constitution to the common people.
The first generation Dalit leader rose up the ranks to become the Bahujan Samaj Party's Tamil Nadu chief, a position he had held for more than 17 years, he noted, adding that Armstrong's death was a huge blow to Dalit politics in the state.
Earlier today, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati who visited Chennai to attend Armstrong's last rites demanded a CBI probe into his death, claiming that those who have been arrested so far were not the real culprits. She urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to refer the probe to the central agency to ensure justice to the victim.
Armstrong, 52, was hacked to death by a six-member bike-borne gang near his house in Perambur in Chennai on Friday, sending shockwaves across the state.
In a midnight operation soon after the murder, eight suspects were arrested by the police.
Meanwhile, several political leaders across the country including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi have condemned the murder of the BSP leader and urged for speedy justice.
