Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai has called for a CBI inquiry into the killing of state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief K Armstrong. He questioned why Chief Minister MK Stalin is reluctant to transfer the investigation to the federal agency.
"When the current Chief Minister was an Opposition leader, he frequently demanded CBI inquiries. Over ten years, he called for 71 CBI investigations. This case clearly warrants a CBI inquiry, so what is preventing him from initiating one?" Annamalai questioned.
Annamalai made these remarks after meeting the family of the slain BSP leader on Monday. He emphasized that Tamil Nadu should not become a police state and criticized the state's handling of the incident.
"This tragic event should not have occurred in Tamil Nadu, especially to a well-known leader. It appears that someone has manipulated the entire system, suggesting a conspiracy. The Tamil Nadu Police cannot simply rely on the fact that some suspects have surrendered. We need to identify the masterminds behind this. The Tamil Nadu BJP is demanding a CBI inquiry to uncover the root cause of this murder. As Mayawati stated, law and order in Tamil Nadu have completely failed," Annamalai asserted.
Both Armstrong's family and BSP supremo Mayawati, who paid tribute to the slain leader in Chennai on Sunday, have also demanded a CBI inquiry.
Tamil Nadu Police have so far arrested eight men who surrendered on the night of the murder on July 5 and detained three others. Initial investigations suggest previous enmity as the motive, but Armstrong's family rejects this explanation.
Addressing the state police's narrative, Annamalai claimed the police are in a "defensive mode."
Responding to Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun's remarks about dealing with rowdies in the language "they understand," Annamalai stated, "Tamil Nadu should not become a police state. We are highlighting the lack of effective policing."
The BJP leader added that when the police and ruling government adopt a defensive stance, it often leads to a series of encounters in the following weeks, overshadowing the real issue.
"We should avoid that approach. The Chief Minister should not resort to claiming that changing the police force and conducting a few encounters will bring peace. Such measures only provide a temporary solution," he explained.
K Armstrong was brutally hacked to death by six unidentified men near his residence in Chennai's Perambur area. His brother Veeramani also sustained injuries in the attack.
