An alarming online video has sparked widespread condemnation across Tamil Nadu and the entire country. The footage shows supporters of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party carrying out a shocking act of animal cruelty, publicly beheading a goat bearing the face of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K. Annamalai.

The incident is a reaction to Annamalai’s recent electoral defeat in the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency. Annamalai, contesting for the first time in a Lok Sabha election, lost to DMK candidate P. Ganapathy Rajkumar in a closely watched and highly anticipated contest as a significant event in the state’s political landscape.

The graphic video, which has gone viral across social media platforms, depicts the brutal slaughter of the goat, its face emblazoned with Annamalai’s photograph. The act carried out in full public view, has drawn scathing criticism from both the political spectrum and the general public.

Netizens have taken to various platforms, expressing shock and outrage over the incident. Many have called for swift action against the perpetrators, demanding a thorough investigation and stringent punishment under relevant laws.

Earlier on 4th June 2024, as the results were announced, another video of DMK party workers carrying a goat (to be slaughtered) to the party headquarters, Arivalayam, in Chennai, went viral. The goat was also seen with Annamalai’s photo around its neck.

The DMK and its supporters have resorted to using the word “aadu” (goat) to Annamalai, especially after he said he was from a modest farming family raising goats. Annamalai had previously informed the media that aside from a few goats, he possessed no properties. In response to the DMK’s continual jibes, Annamalai expressed pride in his family’s goat-rearing livelihood, crediting the sale of goats for his upbringing. He stated he feels no embarrassment about being compared to goats.

The DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu won all 39 Lok Sabha seats and the single seat in Puducherry, making it a clean sweep (40/40) in the region. This act of beheading the goat can be seen as an act of pure hatred aimed at one particular person.