Referring to the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu President K Armstrong, filmmaker and strong espouser of Dalit emancipation Pa Ranjith told CNN-News18 that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government should have done more to protect Dalits. Ranjith will be organising a mega rally on July 20 to pressure the government to arrest the “real” culprits.
Ranjith urged the police to accord proper protection to Dalit leaders and not ignore the threats they receive. “Political leaders, especially Dalit leaders, are not given enough protection in the state. When I spoke to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavallavan, he said he receives many threats. For someone like him, who is in mainstream politics, if you ask me if he is given enough protection — It’s still questionable. In Tamil Nadu, police should be aware of the threats such leaders receive and should ensure they take all the necessary measures,” said Ranjith.
On July 5, Armstrong was hacked to death by six unidentified people near his residence in Chennai’s Perambur area. So far, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the case, and the search for three more is on.
“They should monitor these politicians and provide enough safety and security to such leaders.”
‘RALLY IS TO PUT PRESSURE ON STATE TO BRING OUT TRUTH’
With the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) investigating the case, Ranjith says the rally is to put pressure on the state to bring out the truth over the murder of Armstrong. “The main purpose of the rally is to ensure there is fair investigation into the murder of Armstrong. The real culprits should be arrested. Is there a political hand behind the murder? Is some big name involved? All these angles need to be probed. We want to put pressure on the state government to ensure the probe is done in a fair and thorough manner. If we are not convinced with the current investigation, then we will demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe,” Ranjith added.
BSP Supremo Mayawati visited Chennai to pay tribute to the late Armstrong. Claiming the real culprits have not been arrested, she urged the Stalin government to transfer the case to the CBI. Opposition parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have been demanding a CBI probe into the murder.
Ranjith said the government could have managed the situation better. “The Tamil Nadu government could have handled the case in a better way. From the way the body was handed over to denying a place for burial, and the funeral procession, the government did not handle it well. We are not happy with them.”
Ranjith said they will wait for the findings of the investigation and will decide the course of action.
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