The recent police firing at Paramakudi which claimed six lives and left several others injured on the occasion of the 54th death anniversary of dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran is nothing but an example of Jayalalithaa government’s autocracy, said DMK treasurer and former deputy chief minister M.K.Stalin.
Describing the police firing as “barbaric”, Mr Stalin, who visited the riot-hit Paramakudi and neighbouring villages on Thursday, along with a team of senior party leaders, told reporters that it was agonising to listen to the family members of the victims who narrated the uncivilised behavior of the police.
“The firing was unwarranted and the incident is an example of the autocratic governance of chief minister Jayalalithaa,” he said.
To a question on the need to initiate action against errant police officers, he pointed out that AIADMK’s allies including CPI (M) have demanded action against the police for which the chief minister had replied that action would be taken depending on the outcome of the judicial commission’s report.
“There is no connection between initiating action against errant police officials and the judicial enquiry,” he added.
Recalling the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast, Mr Stalin said the then DMK government headed by M. Karunanidhi constituted a judicial commission to enquire into the incident but initiated action the senior police officials simultaneously.
Asked whether the DMK would demand a CBI enquiry, the DMK leader said the team would relate the happenings to the party president Mr Karunanidhi after which he would decide on the need to demand for the investigation by the central agency.
He also said the Rs one lakh solatium offered by the state government was not acceptable. “The villagers say that while the government gives Rs 3 lakh to the families of those killed by wild elephants, the kin of the victims of police firing should be given more.”
Accompanied by party seniors K.K.S.S. Ramachandran, E.V. Velu, I. Periyasamy, Suba Thangavelan, Moideen Khan, MLA Thangam Thennarasu and former Adi Dravida welfare minister A. Tamilarasi, he visited Keelakodumalur, Veerambal, Sadayaneri, Manjur, Kaathanendal and Pallavarayanendal and handed over Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the six persons killed in the firing on behalf of the DMK.
Mr Stalin later visited the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai where the injured are undergoing treatment.
