DMK versus Opposition: Two Additional Political Activists Murdered in Tamil Nadu

Selvakumar, a BJP worker from Sivaganga district, was found murdered last night. In neighbouring Puducherry, Padmanabhan, AIADMK’s Ward Secretary from Cuddalore district, was also killed. Selvakumar was the president of the party’s district cooperative wing and was an accused in a murder case. Investigators have suggested that the murder stemmed from personal enmity.

A senior officer informed NDTV that Selvakumar was involved in the brick kiln business and the suspect has been identified. Personal enmity seems to be the motive behind the murder. Padmanabhan was first hit by a car while returning on a motorbike and then was hacked to death. Investigators from Puducherry have rushed to Cuddalore, suspecting this to be a revenge killing.

This marks the third murder of a political functionary this month in Tamil Nadu. In a separate incident, a Congress councillor’s husband, Jackson, was also murdered in Kanniyakumari. The police are searching for a six-member gang in connection with this incident. The spate of murders has become a matter of great concern for the ruling DMK party, which recently made changes to its top police and home security positions.

The Opposition AIADMK is criticizing the DMK, attributing the murders to the “lawlessness in the state and the incompetence of Chief Minister M K Stalin.” The DMK party has defended itself, claiming that the law and order situation in the state is better than in BJP-ruled states. They accused the Opposition of playing politics and argued the importance of how the government responds to and prevents crime. In response, the BJP party pointed out several criminal cases involving their workers and questioned the leadership’s suitability.

Even BJP’s Tamilisai Soundarajan admitted that the party had admitted criminals without proper scrutiny during her tenure. The political climate in Tamil Nadu seems tumultuous, with each party blaming the other for the deteriorating law and order situation.