TN Political Leaders Condemn Killing of Three Tamil Farmers in Karnataka

Political leaders across Tamil Nadu on Sunday condemned the killing of three Tamil farmers by Karnataka forest officials in Chamarajanagar district and demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident.

Reacting to the shooting, former Chief Minister M K Stalin termed the incident shocking and demanded a judicial probe. He stated that attempts to shield those who committed the crime must be avoided and insisted that the matter be registered as a murder case, followed by a transparent and impartial judicial inquiry.

Stalin called upon the TVK government to provide monetary compensation and government jobs to the families of the victims. He also took aim at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, stating that the TVK government, which had been silent on the Mekedatu dispute, should break its silence and strongly condemn the Karnataka government.

Hours after Stalin's remarks, Chief Minister Vijay issued an official statement condemning the attack on Tamils and demanded a high-level probe into the killings.

According to Karnataka forest officials, the three men were involved in poaching wild animals and opened fire at personnel when they were confronted. Karnataka authorities maintained that forest officials returned fire strictly in self-defence.

However, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss disputed the version presented by the authorities, stating that there was no evidence to suggest that the three men were poaching or that any exchange of fire had taken place.