Won't rest before ensuring internal quota for Vanniyars: Ramadoss

CHENNAI: In an open letter to his party cadre, PMK founder S Ramadoss assured he will ensure Vanniyar's internal reservation at any cost. "When I started protesting in 1980 (demanding internal reservation), I did not have anything except hope and perseverance. Lakhs of cadre came forward to the protest braving police bullets. We won reservations for 108 castes in 1989. We are stronger now than we were in 1980," the senior PMK leader said.

Saying that he is still mentally and physically strong, Ramadoss expressed that he is ready to participate in protests with the cadre. “It is the only way. I am ready to give my life and I will not rest before ensuring internal reservation for Vanniyars," he said.

In a separate statement, party president Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the attack against a policeman, who tried to thwart sand smuggling.

"Constable Tamilselvan and Home Guard Venkatesan tried to stop a truck carrying sand in Ariyalur district. But the vehicle hit them. Both of them were injured in the incident. Attacks are continuing against officials trying to prevent sand smuggling. But the government fails to stop such attacks," he said.

He added that sand smugglers do not fear the law forcing the officers to fear the smugglers. "Doubts arise whether the state has a democratic government or a sand smuggling government. The accused in the Ariyalur incident are yet to be arrested. If pressure mounts, the police would arrest innocent persons,” Anbumani claimed.

The government should take measures to curb sand smuggling and arrest the accused persons, he urged.