Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sat on a one-day hunger strike on February 21 in Chennai against the DMK Government over the killing of an Army jawan Lance Naik M Prabhu in Krishnagiri.
Many retired army personnel and civilians also joined the protest. Later in the evening, K Annamalai, the party’s State president, also led a candlelight rally from Omandurar Government hospital to the War memorial near the Marina beach. Over 5,000 people took part in the march.
After the candlelight march, a delegation of veterans led by Annamalai called on Governor RN Ravi and presented a petition seeking appropriate action.
Lance Naik M Prabhu was brutally murdered by a group of men, including DMK councillor Chinnasamy.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu police has filed an FIR against 3,500 BJP workers under sections 143, 151 IPC R/W 41/ (6) for conducting candle light march without proper permission from police officials in Chennai.
Reacting to this, TN BJP chief K Annamalai, in a tweet, assured cadres not to take it seriously. He said, “No one is going to be afraid of an FIR. In this case, we only want the CM to seek an apology from the family (of the slain Army jawan) for what his party member has done. We’ll intensify our actions in the coming days…This is the 84th FIR against me”.
Interacting with media after the hunger strike, Annamalai said, “MK Stalin could go to a biryani shop which was attacked by DMK goons four years back when he was the opposing leader but as a Chief Minister he has failed in doing so. He has not gone to console the family of the army man who was beaten to death. DMK-led Tamil Nadu is becoming a lawless State. We (BJP) need to fight and expose DMK and their lawlessness. We need to expose DMK and their lawlessness.”
“The law and order situation is deteriorating from bad to worse. Even the lives of policemen and their valuables are not safe,” he said.
During the meeting with Governor RN Ravi, BJP leaders briefed him about the brutal attack on Army jawan Prabhu, BJP SC wing leader Tada Periaswamy’s car & home, and the worsening law and order situation in the State. In this background, Annamalai, according to sources, air dashed to Delhi to meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring to his attention towards Tamil Nadu. He also expected to broach the subject of malpractices in the Erode East by poll assembly segment by ruling DMK and its allies, which is in alarming magnitude.
His scheduled meeting with Amit Shah assumes significance in the backdrop of the Army conducting a personal inquiry at the Army jawan Prabhu’s family and others in the village. They are soon tasked to report to India’s supreme commander and President, Draupadi Murmu. The report is also expected to be sent to Governor for suitable action.
