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Karunanidhi condemns priest's killing

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today condemned yesterday's killing of Roman Catholic priest Arul Doss, hailing from Tamil Nadu, allegedly by the Dara Singh gang in Orissa.

In a statement, he said the people of the state were shocked and dismayed by the murder of the priest, which had taken place in Orissa, where Australian priest Graham Staines and his two sons had been killed earlier this year. The state was under Congress rule, he noted.

He said he expected the Orissa government to nab the elusive Dara Singh and his gang and ensure that attacks on Christians were put to an end in that state.

Meanwhile, Dravidar Kazhagam general secretary K Veeramani, alleged that the presence of the BJP-led government at the Centre had emboldened gangs, like the one led by Dara Singh, to attack the minorities.

In a statement, he recalled Union Home Minister L K Advani's statement exonerating the Bajrang Dal from the charge of murdering Graham Staines and his two sons, though it was known that Dara Singh had links with Sangh Parivar outfits.

"Such statements have emboldened chauvinist elements to launch further attacks on the minorities", he said and cited the recent murder of cloth merchant Sheikh Rahman by the Dara Singh gang in Orissa.

He said the frequent attacks on minorities ran counter to chief minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi's claim that the minorities were safe under the BJP-led government at the Centre.

UNI

ALSO SEE: Minorities commission condemns priest's killing

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