Tamil Nadu chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party was hacked to death by six bike-borne men near his house in Chennai on Friday.

The six men attacked Armstrong when he was having a discussion with a few party functionaries near his house in the city’s Sembium area and then fled. The family rushed him to a hospital, but he was declared brought dead.

Police officials said this could be a revenge murder, linked to the killing of a gangster, Arcot Suresh, last year. A senior police officer told NDTV, “We are conducting an investigation. The murder seems to be linked to an earlier killing.”

Some reports said the attackers posed as food delivery agents, but police are yet to confirm this.

The opposition has hit out at the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and said the killing is evidence of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.  Leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswamy said, “What do I say when the state chief of a national party is murdered? The law and order is shameful. There is no fear of law or the police”.

A lawyer, Armstrong was elected to the Chennai Corporation Council in 2006. He shot to fame after he organised a mega rally in Chennai two years ago and invited BSP chief Mayawati.

In a post on X, Mayawati termed Armstrong a strong voice of Dalits and called for the guilty to be punished.

“The gruesome killing of Mr K Armstrong, Tamil Nadu state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president, outside his Chennai house is highly deplorable and condemnable. An advocate by profession, he was known as a strong Dalit voice in the state. The state Govt. must punish the guilty,” she wrote.