A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary in Chennai Balachandar was killed by an unidentified group of men on a city street on Tuesday evening, prompting the opposition party to flag the ruling MK Stalin-led government in Tamil Nadu for the law and order situation in the state.
Balachandar was the Chennai Central SC/ST wing president for the party.
“The murder has been reported from a street off the main road. It’s too early for us to give any more details…. We are gathering information,” a police officer at Chennai’s Chintadaripet police station said. He said senior officials were still at the spot.
A BJP leader said the incident took place between 6pm and 7pm.
Balachandar sustained serious injuries in the attack and he was taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where he succumbed to the injuries.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai took to Twitter to criticise the law and order situation under the DMK regime. “There is no security for anyone here,” he said.
“The government is inactive and the police are of no use to the common man. The police must immediately find and arrest the killers,” he said in a post.
{{/usCountry}}“The government is inactive and the police are of no use to the common man. The police must immediately find and arrest the killers,” he said in a post.
{{/usCountry}}SG Suryah, state secretary of Tamil Nadu BJP, said in a Twitter post: “BJP SC Morcha Central Chennai District President Balachander is hacked to death in broad day light today at Chennai. This is 19th murder in last 21 days just in Chennai. TN CM @mkstalin who holds Home Portfolio is busy watching his son’s movie in theatre”.
A BJP leader, who requested anonymity said: “We were told that an internal family issue which led to the murder”.
More details are yet to emerge on the murder which comes two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Chennai to launch projects for Tamil Nadu.