Aam Aadmi Party workers protest outside Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's residence in Chennai.
Aam Aadmi Party workers today stormed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's residence in Chennai today, protesting for around half-an-hour and demanding a CBI probe into the death of Agricultural Engineer S Muthukumarasamy.
Mr Muthukumarasamy was crushed by a speeding train in Tirunelvelli in February; the police suspect it was a case of suicide.
AAP alleges that the officer was under pressure from the then state agriculture minister Agri Krishnamoorthy's office for appointing drivers of the minister's choice in Tirunelvelli where the late officer was working.
Recently, Mr Krishnamoorthy was sacked by the state's chief minister and was also removed from all his party positions by AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa. The state government had transferred the case that probed the officer's death to Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID).
"The CBCID is still with the state government. Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth and there can be action against the former Minister if he's guilty. If he was removed, there must be reason, we want to know why," said Chandru, one of the protesting AAP member. Another activist added, "We hear the Minister's office demanded the honest officer to pay one year's salary for every appointment he made by merit. Even if it was suicide we should know what drove him".
Mr Panneerselvam, a loyalist of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa took over after she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case in September last year.
Today's protest by the members of Aam Aadmi Party is being seen as a major security breach. The protesters, around thirty of them who carried placards and drums raised slogans inside the Chief Minister's Greenways Road residence. The police arrested all of them.
In Karnataka too, the state government is facing the heat over the death of IAS officer DK Ravikumar who was found hanging last Monday. The opposition as well as Mr Ravikumar's family have been protesting and demanding CBI probe into the IAS officer's death.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday "advised" chief minister Siddaramaiah of her party to hand over the investigation to the central agency but the Karnataka government has been adamant that it will be a CID probe.