Fri Jan 24 17:30:24 IST 2025: ## BJP Accuses Tamil Nadu’s DMK of Using Illegal Mining Gangs for 2026 Election
**Chennai, January 24, 2025** – The Tamil Nadu BJP president, K. Annamalai, launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK government Friday, accusing it of relying on illegal mineral theft gangs to finance its 2026 Assembly election campaign. Annamalai claimed that illegal mining and smuggling, particularly involving two gangs operating from Pudukkottai and Karur districts, had become rampant since the DMK took power. He cited the murder of anti-stone quarrying activist K. Jagaber Ali in Pudukkottai as evidence of a government operating under a “disaster model,” prioritizing illicit funds over public safety and accountability. The BJP leader alleges the DMK, anticipating electoral defeat, is employing these gangs to amass wealth and intimidate those who oppose their activities.
First Piper 