As Tamil Nadu grapples with the death of 13 people who were killed in police shootings during anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi, and as protests are conducted in several parts of the country and the world over the police violence, one person who has been conspicuously silent on the issue is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. DMK working president MK Stalin has now slammed the Prime Minister for not speaking out on the matter.
“Such a big incident has taken place. Tamil Nadu is inside India only. Modi is India’s Prime Minister… Or is he some foreign country’s Prime Minister? I have suspicions now. Because in Tamil Nadu, an Indian state, such an incident has taken place where 13 people have lost their lives… 50-60 people are grievously injured and admitted to hospitals… These incidents are continuing to happen,” Stalin said.
“The right thing to do would have been for Modi himself to come. Or he should have sent a central minister. If nothing else, they must have at least given messages of condolence to the families of who have lost their loved ones. It is shameful,” he said.
Many people have questioned Modi’s silence on the issue, especially after he responded to a fitness challenge tweeted by Indian men’s cricket team captain Virat Kohli just a day after the Thoothukudi massacre.
Stalin also slammed Tamil Nadu’s current government.
“At least former CM and current deputy CM OPS should have come (to Thoothukudi) but he hasn’t come so far. There is news that he will come tomorrow, but don’t know if that is true or false. Even if he does come, it is just theatrics, because the Assembly session is set to begin on May 29, where we will ask questions,” Stalin said.
On Thursday, TN Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had justified the police firing on unarmed protesters, terming it a "natural reaction". He put the blame on “anti-social elements” and on the opposition for the violence, who Palaniswami claimed had instigated the people of Thoothukudi to give a bad name to the government.