Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nainar Nagendran has raised concerns over the state government’s alleged involvement with sand smuggling mafias. In a statement, he referred to a recent incident in Namakkal district where a female Village Administrative Officer (VAO) was reportedly attacked by sand smugglers inside her home. The assailants allegedly pulled her by the hair and trampled on her chest, highlighting the severity of the situation.Nagendran expressed shock over the attack, noting that the officer had been attempting to prevent illegal sand extraction. He criticized the government’s inability to protect its own officials and questioned its capacity to safeguard ordinary citizens. He also pointed out that this incident was not isolated, citing a similar attack on a VAO in 2021 and a controversial statement by a former DMK minister before the 2021 Assembly elections, which he claimed indicated prior knowledge of such activities.
The BJP leader further criticized the DMK government for allegedly providing support to sand smuggling operations, suggesting that the government’s actions were undermining environmental protection efforts. He concluded by questioning the government’s priorities, stating that while it engages in publicity campaigns, it fails to address critical issues like law enforcement and environmental conservation.