CHENNAI: A political firestorm has erupted in Tamil Nadu following the suicide of a young dalit woman at Manachanallur in Trichy, allegedly after being harassed and insulted by DMK workers. The incident has prompted PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss to demand an immediate ban on the DMK’s controversial “Rs 8,000 coupon” campaign, labelling it a fraudulent election manoeuvre.In a post on X, he said the victim, identified as Sindhuja of Manachanallur, reportedly entered into an argument with local DMK functionaries over the distribution of “model coupons” for the proposed Illatharasi (homemaker) scheme. When Sindhuja questioned why she had not received the coupon being distributed in her area, DMK workers allegedly targeted her with “obscene language” and intimidated her. Distressed by the humiliation and the verbal abuse, the young woman reportedly took her life by hanging.The scheme, a key promise in the DMK’s 2026 manifesto, pledges a Rs 8,000 coupon for non-income tax-paying households to purchase home appliances.In another post on X, he said a college student was brutally attacked with a sickle by a gang of drug addicts at her residence in Vallur village near Minjur. Anbumani while condemning the incident alleged that even women inside their homes are no longer safe under the current DMK regime.The victim, a college student, was at home preparing for her upcoming examinations. A three-member gang, allegedly under the influence of ganja, barged into her house. The gang members attempted to sexually assault the student. When she resisted and fought back, the assailants hacked her with a sickle, inflicting severe injuries. The student has been hospitalized in a critical condition.Anbumani linked the assault directly to the widespread availability of narcotics. “This horrific event is a grim testament to the uncontrollable spread of drugs like ganja under the DMK rule,” he stated. “Until now, there was a sense of fear regarding women’s safety in public spaces. But now, the situation has deteriorated to a level where women are not safe even within the four walls of their homes,” he said.
