Chennai, July 2 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP chief and Legislature Party Leader Nainar Nagendran has launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin over his public apology to the mother of Ajith Kumar, the 28-year-old victim of a recent alleged custodial death in Sivaganga district.

In a strongly worded social media post, Nagendran accused the Chief Minister of indulging in mere theatrics while custodial deaths continue unabated under his rule.

Reacting to a viral video where CM Stalin is seen gently telling Ajith Kumar’s grieving mother, “Sorry, ma”, Nagendran questioned the sincerity and effectiveness of such gestures.

“I watched the carefully edited video of the Hon’ble Chief Minister saying ‘Sorry, ma’ to the mother of Ajith Kumar, who was brutally murdered by policemen. After having allowed such a heinous crime to occur, how is a single word of apology justifiable?” he asked.

Nagendran further held CM Stalin directly responsible, pointing out that the police department functions under his direct supervision as Home Minister. “Isn’t it the Chief Minister’s fundamental duty to ensure that such deaths don’t happen in the first place?” he added.

To underline the gravity of the issue, the BJP leader listed 23 custodial deaths that have allegedly taken place during the DMK government’s tenure under Stalin’s leadership.

The names, ages, and districts of the victims include: 1. Prabhakaran (45) – Namakkal, 2. Sulaiman (44) – Tirunelveli, 3. Thadi Veeran (38) – Tirunelveli, 4. Vignesh (25) – Chennai, 5. Thangamani (48) – Tiruvannamalai, 6. Appu alias Rajasekar (31) – Chennai, 7. Chinnathurai (53) – Pudukkottai, 8. Thangapandi (33) – Virudhunagar, 9. Muruganandham (38) – Ariyalur, 10. Akash (21) – Chennai,11. Gokulsri (17) – Chengalpattu, 12. Thangasamy (26) – Tenkasi, 13. Karthi (30) – Madurai, 14. Raja (42) – Villupuram, 15. Santhakumar (35) – Tiruvallur, 16. Jayakumar (60) – Virudhunagar, 17. Arputharaj (31) – Villupuram, 18. Bhaskar (39) – Cuddalore, 19. Balakumar (26) – Ramanathapuram, 20. Dravidamani (40) – Tiruchirapalli, 21. Vigneshwaran (36) – Pudukkottai, 22. Shankar (36) – Karur, and 23. Senthil (28) – Dharmapuri.

Nagendran sarcastically asked, “If the Chief Minister is truly apologetic, when will we see photoshoots and video shoots of him asking for forgiveness from the parents, wives, and children of these other 23 victims who died in police custody under his rule?”

The post has sparked widespread discussions on social media, with many raising questions about the accountability of the Tamil Nadu Police force and the DMK government’s commitment to human rights and justice.

The controversy comes amid mounting pressure on the DMK government after the Sivaganga custodial death triggered statewide outrage, forcing CM Stalin to order a CBI probe.

While the gesture of apology was seen by some as a humane political response, opposition leaders like Nagendran argue that symbolic acts are no substitute for systemic reform and justice.

–IANS

aal/dpb