Modi says aware of Devendrakula Vellalars’ plea

Kicking off the BJP’s campaign for the Lok Sabha polls with a public meeting in this temple town, Modi said, “I want to talk to you about one more issue. This is relating to the Devendra Kula Vellalar community and ensuring justice as well as opportunities for them.”

“The issue came to me and I am fully sensitive towards their demands,” he added.

“You will be happy to know that significant progress with regard to it has been made,” he said. “I assure that their community gets justice and social harmony is maintained...we are committed to justice for all,” Modi said.

The Devendra Kula Vellalars has been demanding that they should be excluded from the SC list as it could result in their students competing for reservation among a bigger population of students with a traditionally better average performance in examinations.

Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) leader Dr K Krishnasamy has been raising this demand and also met Modi and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on the issue.

The seven sub-castes that Dr Krishnasamy wants to be clubbed as Devendrakula Vellalars were Pallar, Kudumbar, Pannadi, Kaalaadi, Kadayar, Devendrakulatar and Vadhiriyaar and they constitute nearly 17 per cent of the SC community according to the 2011 census.