Former Tamil Nadu minister Venkatachalam murdered

Chennai: Former AIADMK Minister Venkatachalam has been murdered in Tamil Nadu's Pudukottai district on Thursday. He was hacked to death by a four-member gang at his house near Alangudi in Pudukottai.

Venkatachalam was the tourism minister during Jayalalithaa's tenure.

The murder comes in the run up to Jayalalithaa's Madurai rally on Monday. Madurai is the stronghold of DMK leader and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's son Alagiri.

Sources tell NDTV that Jayalalithaa was warned against holding the rally in Madurai.

JAYALALITHAA CONDEMNS THE MURDER

The AIADMK leader has condemned the "brutal murder" of former party minister A Venkatachalam and demanded that those behind the incident be immediately be brought to book.

"Those behind the attack should be arrested and legal action initiated against them," she said in a statement in Chennai.

She said she was pained at the death of Venkatachalam, who had occupied important posts in the AIADMK and had rendered yeoman service to the party.

She also conveyed her condolences to his bereaved family members and prayed that his soul rest in peace.

(With PTI inputs)