Welcoming the trial court order convicting six men for murdering a PMK functionary during the ‘Marakkanam riots’ in April 2013, PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Wednesday said this vindicated the party’s stand that its cadres had nothing to do with the riots. Violence had rocked Marakkanam that year when PMK functionaries returning from the party’s ‘Chithirai Vizha’ and cadres of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi clashed near Mamallapuram.
“I have always said that the PMK had nothing to do with the violence that unfolded in Marakkanam. The VCK men chased the PMK youth with weapons. I am now relieved that the court has found the six VCK men guilty and given them life sentence. We have gotten justice for the two youth (the court order pertains to the death of one cadre) who were killed brutally,” he said in a statement issued here.
“In April 2013, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had said in the Assembly that Selvaraj and Vivek weren’t murdered but killed in an accident. Now, the court has said that they were murdered,” Dr. Ramadoss said.
According to him, political parties and the media had blamed him and the PMK for the violence without any basis.
Meanwhile, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan claimed that those convicted were not VCK cadres.
