Armstrong death: Pa Ranjith inconsolable, Thalapathy Vijay, Kamal Haasan condemn the ghastly murder of BSP leader

Filmmaker Pa Ranjith, the director of Thangalaan, was inconsolable following the brutal murder of Tamil Nadu BSP leader K Armstrong. The 52-year-old political leader, touted to be one of the prominent Dalit voices in state politics, was hacked to death outside his residence on Friday, sending shock waves across the country.

Ranjith, who was very close to Armstrong, wept openly in public, expressing a flood of emotions. Ranjith is deeply involved in politics in Tamil Nadu and uses the medium of cinema to address political and social issues. The prevailing caste prejudices in society and how they oppress and impede the ambitions and dreams of common people are among the overarching themes in all his movies.

Ranjith is one of the leading voices discussing the issues of Dalit people. His public expression of distress clearly shows that his bond with Armstrong extended beyond their shared political beliefs and aspirations.

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What Dalit leader #Armstrong meant for the TN Dalit Ambedkarite movement can be understood from the fact how inconsolable is PA Ranjith @beemji after looking at his dead body pic.twitter.com/sk8MvAVoET

— Ravi Ratan (@scribe_it) July 6, 2024

பகுஜன் சமாஜ் கட்சியின் மாநிலத் தலைவரும், வழக்கறிஞருமான ஆம்ஸ்ட்ராங் கொடூரமான முறையில் வெட்டிக் கொலை செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பது பெரும் அதிர்ச்சியையும், வேதனையையும் அளிக்கிறது. அவரது குடும்பத்தினர், நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் பகுஜன் சமாஜ் கட்சியினருக்கு ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபங்களையும்…

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) July 6, 2024

பகுஜன் சமாஜ் கட்சியின் மாநிலத் தலைவர் திரு. ஆம்ஸ்ட்ராங் அவர்கள் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்ட சம்பவம், பெரும் அதிர்ச்சியையும் வேதனையையும் அளிக்கிறது.

திரு. ஆம்ஸ்ட்ராங் அவர்களைப் பிரிந்து வாடும் அவரது குடும்பத்தினருக்கும் அவரது கட்சியினருக்கும் எனது ஆழ்ந்த அனுதாபங்களைத்…

— TVK Vijay (@tvkvijayhq) July 6, 2024

Tamil superstars Kamal Haasan and Thalapathy Vijay have also expressed their condolences while condemning the senseless violence. "Bahujan Samaj Party State President Mr. Armstrong's assassination is shocking and painful. My deepest condolences to Armstrong's bereaved family and friends. The Tamil Nadu government should take necessary precautionary measures to prevent such heinous crimes from happening again. I request you to maintain law and order without compromise and ensure everyone's safety," said Vijay in his statement.

"His death is a loss for the people of the Scheduled Caste who constantly spoke for the downtrodden. The assassination of a state leader of a national party by mercenaries in a busy area is highly condemnable. I urge the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate action against the criminals involved in this," remarked Kamal Haasan.