NT Bureau : A Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary, who immolated himself Sunday to protest the eviction and demolition to remove encroachments in water bodies in the city, succumbed to burns on Monday. The demolition drive was carried out by the Water Resources Department
and the Tamil Nadu Urban Housing Developmet Board at Govindasamy Nagar in RA Puram area on the ground that the people have encroached areas near the Buckingham canal.
In protest, the PMK district deputy secretary G Kanniah (58) attempted self-immolation Sunday afternoon. He suffered more than 90 per cent burns and was rushed to the Government Kilpauk Government Hospital, where he died without responding to the treatment today morning. As tension prevailed in the area following the immolation, the authorities have temporarily suspended the demolition drive, even as protest by the locals, which commenced last evening, continued for the second day today, oppsoing their eviction and demolition.
They also hoisted black flags atop their houses to condemn the demolition. Alleging that the eviction was being done in violation of human rights, thedeceased’s son K Suresh, demanded action against the officials concerned and appealed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take suo motu cognisance of the incident.
While the government maintained that the eviction drive was being carried out as per the orders of the Supreme Court in a case filed by an individual to
remove the encroachments, the residents alleged that successive governments have failed to plead their case properly.
The locals accused the government of expediting the demolition drive after coming to know that they were planning to approach the Supreme Court with the help of an NGO. Meanwhile, Tamilnadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran announced that Chief Minister M K Stalin has sanctioned a solaitum of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Kanniah.