'Stalin must relinquish police portfolio': TN BJP demands reforms

Chennai, June 30 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad on Monday demanded that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin give up the police portfolio and immediately register a murder case against the officers allegedly involved in the custodial death of Ajith Kumar, a young man from Sivagangai district.

Prasad described Ajith Kumar’s death at Thiruppuvanam Police Station as “deeply disturbing” and said it highlighted the DMK government’s failure to curb custodial violence.

“Since the DMK came to power in 2021, 23 people have died in custody,” Prasad said.

“This culture of brutality and impunity must end. Chief Minister Stalin must be held accountable and answer the nine questions we have raised publicly.”

Prasad alleged that the Tamil Nadu Police, under DMK rule, had been responsible for fake encounters, fabricated cases, and routine human rights violations.

He said police often attributed custodial injuries to “accidental slips in the bathroom,” a narrative tacitly accepted by the judiciary.

The BJP spokesperson said nearly 90 per cent of human rights abuses in the state stemmed from police excesses, adding that the government’s inaction had emboldened officers to commit atrocities while showing leniency to corporate and political interests.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Section 197 of the CrPC, Prasad demanded the creation of a special court to try cases against police personnel accused of misconduct.

“The Supreme Court has made it clear that police who abuse their power cannot hide behind government sanction. Tamil Nadu must now act and show it respects the rule of law,” he said.

Prasad called for the immediate suspension of the Sivagangai District Superintendent of Police, a judicial inquiry into all custodial deaths under the DMK government, and swift action to prosecute those responsible for Ajith Kumar’s death.

“The people of Tamil Nadu deserve a government that protects their rights and dignity, not one that shelters killers in uniform. Stalin must demonstrate his commitment to human rights by relinquishing the police portfolio and ensuring accountability,” he said.

--IANS

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