"No Hope of Justice from State Govt", BSP Supremo Mayawati Demands CBI Probe into TN Party President Armstrong's Murder

Chennai- BSP national president, former four time Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati paid last respects to Tamil Nadu BSP State President K Armstrong in Chennai on Sunday. Party's National Coordinator, Akash Anand too accompanied her.

Mortal remains of Armstrong who was brutally murdered on Friday night, has been kept in Bunder Garden school in Perambur for public homage.

Thousands of Ambedkarites and members of the Dalit community have been flocking to the site to pay their last respects to the leader.

Mayawati demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder after paying floral tributes to his remains.

In a statement, the BSP chief said the party “will insist on conducting a fair inquiry” in the case.

" We have no hope of justice from the state government. The real culprits are still at large who should be immediately arested" she said, Mayawati also appealed to the state government to “safeguard and protect the reserved community and maintain law and order.”

Apart from the BSP chief, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, Congress MP Sasikant Senthil, and Vashikaran, state president, AAP, are also among those paying homage to the departed leader.

On Sunday, a high court judge who heard an urgent petition for allowing the burial of Armstrong in the party’s headquarters said it was not possible to bury him there because it is a small residential area.

Madras High Court Suggests Alternative Burial Site Due to Residential Constraints

During a special sitting on July 7, the court considered a writ petition filed by Armstrong’s wife, A. Porkodi, seeking permission to bury her husband within the party office premises. Justice Subbaroyan suggested that the body could be temporarily interred at one of the three alternative sites proposed by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and later relocated to a more suitable location.

The judge highlighted that the party office's small plot of around 2,400 square feet, already housing a structure, was unsuitable for a burial site. While the petitioner's counsel, Krisha Kumar, referenced the GCC's previous allowance for DMDK leader Vijayakant's burial at his party office in Koyambedu, Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran noted the vast difference in land size between the two locations.

The AAG mentioned the GCC's denial of permission due to the dense residential setting and narrow approach to the BSP office. He also pointed out that the state government had identified three alternative sites for burial, with one being just 1.5 km from the desired location, offering 2,000 square feet of land.

Justice Subbaroyan found merit in these submissions and advised the petitioner to accept the alternative locations for the time being. She emphasized the importance of choosing a proper site to avoid a stampede situation similar to the Hathras incident, considering the expected large turnout of Armstrong's followers. The judge granted the petitioner's counsel time until noon to confer with his client.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Saturday, expressed grief over the incident. In a social media post, Stalin wrote: " Bahujan Samaj Party State President Armstrong's assassination is shocking and deeply saddening. The police arrested those involved in the murder overnight. I would like to convey my deepest condolences and condolences to all of Armstrong's party, family, relatives and friends who are bereaved and I have ordered the police officers to conduct the case expeditiously and bring the culprits to justice as per the law."