Chennai: In a shocking incident, a youth set himself ablaze in front of the revenue department office to protest against the demolition of his house at Nethaji Nagar near Gummidipoondi in neighbouring Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday, even as PMK and the BJP condemned the demolition.
Officials have launched a demolition drive and to remove the residential properties which were allegedly constructed by encroaching on the government land in Nethaji Nagar was underway.
A team of Revenue department officials, accompanied by a large posse of police personnel, were involved in demolition of about 50 houses in the government land belonging to the Adi Dravidar and Tribal department.
Amid protests and cries by the locals, including women, the demolition drive was held.
Upset over the demolition, the youth Rajkumar, went to the revenue department office and set himself on fire in front of it.
He suffered more than 50 per cent burns and was rushed to government hospital in Tiruvallur from where he was shifted to Government Kilpauk Medical College and hospital in Chennai for advanced treatment.
Tension prevailed in the locality following the incident.
Two months back, the authorities have put up a notice stating that this land belonged to the government and was allotted for constructing free houses to the beneficaries and that none should construct any house.
Apart from issuing a strict warning if any house was constructed, it also said that the government could take back the lands as per rules.
Meanwhile, PMK Founder Dr.S.Ramadoss and BJP State President K Annamalai condemned the demolition and demanded stern action against those officials responsible for the self immolation incident.
In a statement here, Dr Ramadoss said Rajkumar has constructed the house at the patta land.
Stating that thousands of acres of government lands had been encroached by influential people and no action has been taken to evict them, he also sought to know who had instigated the authorities to demolish the houses constructed in patta lands.
"This incident showed that only rich people can live and poor people cannot live under the ruling DMK regime", Dr Ramadoss said appealed to the government to provide best of treatment to Rajkumar, besides initiating stern action against the officials for the incident.
Condemning the incident, Mr Annamalai, in a social media post, said a youth in Gummidipoondi tried to self-immolate in his attempt to stop the government officials from demolishing his house built over a patta land.
He also accused the DMK regime of razing down the houses of common men as illegal construction, while real estate moghuls enjoy benefits and unprecedented privileges.
"While the real estate moguls enjoy benefits and unprecedented privileges in this DMK regime, the houses of common men are razed down as illegal construction", Mr Annamalai posted.
"And the Housing Minister Thiru Muthusamy, who is also the Prohibition Minister of the State, is busy introducing 90ml bottles in TASMAC before Diwali...Speaks volumes on the priorities of this DMK Govt in TN", he added.