Sulur MLA R Kanagaraj's unexpected demise due to a cardiac arrest this morning at his residence in Sultanpet has left both AIADMK cadres and the public, especially those around Sultanpet in deep grief.
Sulur MLA R Kanagaraj's unexpected demise due to a cardiac arrest this morning at his residence in Sultanpet has left both AIADMK cadres and the public, especially those around Sultanpet in deep grief.
MLA R Kanagaraj was an ardent AIADMK party member for more than 30 years. He was elected as an MLA for the first time in 2016. Previously, he was the president of the Panchayat in Coimbatore district. Although a part of the ruling AIADMK party, his guts to threaten the party endeared him to the locals and earned him their respect and loyalty.
R Kanagaraj is known in Tamil Nadu for his ability to create a furore over relevant issues. His every interview with the media sparked off controversies. His famous statement, “I will resign my MLA post if Sulur road is not expanded,” is a case in point.
In 2017, when two workers died in a quarry explosion near Periyakuyili, he openly stated that it was due to the negligence of authority and not an accident as portrayed. He threatened the State government that he would resign his MLA post if proper action was not taken against the authorities responsible for the accident. The State government shut down the quarry.
A few years ago R Kangaraj's statement, “I feel like quitting this MLA post when I think that I cannot help the distressed farmers," created an uproar in the Tamil Nadu political circle. When the people of Samalapuram protested for the closure of a TASMAC bar, he joined the protest threatening, “If the TASMAC shop is not removed, I will resign my MLA post.”