A day after K Ragupathi, a software engineer from the US who had returned home to Coimbatore to meet a prospective bride, died after he reportedly rammed into an illegal wooden arch erected for MGR Centenary celebrations, anger is pouring out against the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Several activists and public figures have condemned the government and the police department over the death.
Hours after the news of the death broke in media, the words ‘Who Killed Ragu?’ were seen painted on the road at the spot of the accident. The holes on the road drilled in for holding the arch were also seen circled with white paint. It remains unclear as to who painted the road with the message. (Image above)
Meanwhile, anger poured out on social media, with common citizens and politicians venting against the ruling AIADMK.
DMK Working President MK Stalin condemned the accident and tweeted, “Under the pretext of #MGRcentenary, the AIADMK govt. continues to blatantly violate the High Court's order on obstructive & dangerous hoardings - now resulting in the death of Raghu, a promising young engineer in Coimbatore. I condemn this lawless govt. in the strongest terms.”
K Ragupathi, and the illegal arch which has since been taken down.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss also said that the ruling party has not obtained any permission from the authorities for putting up such structures.
Hitting out at the Tamil Nadu government, Tamil actor Kamal Haasan said that a government that does not value the lives of pedestrians cannot travel in a palanquin for long, obliquely referring to the death of the software engineer. He tweeted that any regime that focusses on power and fame even if results in loss of life would fall. A person is an accessory to a murder if his action results in an accident which Tamil Nadu's rulers should realise, he said.
Even a few senior police officers in the state are aghast at the death of Ragu. An officer told TNM that top officers in TN have become political stooges to facilitate politicians’ wishes and that an honest officer would not have given a free run to the abuse of roads by the politicians. “Every minister has got SPs and Commissioners of their choice to facilitate their political activities. The state is rotting,” the officer said.
However, state minister SP Velumani denied that the structure was illegal and blamed the DMK for spreading false information.