Cong, CPM, TTV blame police for Ariyalur violence
Condemning the police for shielding AIADMK and PMK men, who allegedly masterminded the attacks on Dalits at Ponparappi village in Ariyalur, state Congress president KS Alagiri on Saturday cautioned that police officers responsible for inaction would be subjected to strict inquiry in future.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-04-20 22:09 GMT
Chennai
Though the Parliamentary polls were largely peaceful in the state, violence erupted in many places, especially at Ponparappi in Ariyalur where Dalits have become victims of violent attacks, Alagiri alleged.
He also charged the ruling dispensation with covering up the violence with the help of police, more so after their political future was jeopardised.
Meanwhile, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran urged the state not to give the miscreants, who are trying to flare up the violent incident at Ponparappi, a free hand. He sought cases to be filed against those who incited the violence. “It is sad that social tension is created at Ponparappi after the clash during the elections that led to a violent attack. I condemn the police for failing to act immediately after the incident,” he said.
Ponting out that social harmony would be affected if religion and caste were involved in politics, he said that it was totally unacceptable to destroy the societal peace for the political gain of a few. “Only the working-class people will be badly affected by such violence. Elections will come and go but all sections of the people should live in harmony,” he said.
CPM too urged the state to book those who attacked Dalits houses at Ponparappi in Ariyalur district under SC/ST Act and sought compensation for the affected. “We appeal to the public not to fall prey to the narrow political gain of certain parties which are inciting violence and trying to destroy social harmony,” party state secretary K Balakrishnan said.
Accusing the PMK and Hindu Munnani for attacking the Dalits, he said that they had unleashed violence fearing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls to VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, who is contesting in the “pot” symbol.
Ponparappi women protest, allege bias in arrests of PMK workers
Claiming that the police have been arresting only a section of people, the women from Ponparappi near Senthurai in Ariyalur district staged a road blockade on Saturday.
According to the protesting women, while complaint has been lodged by both the groups, the Senthurai police have acted upon the complaint by VCK cadre and arrested as many as 12 persons belonging to the PMK. This has created a suspicion among the PMK cadre that the police were acting in a biased manner.
Thus, on Saturday, around 100 PMK women assembled near Senthurai bus stand and attempted to block the road. They raised slogans against the police and demanded the arrest of VCK members too.
On information, the police team led by the Superintendent VR Srinivasan rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating women. Based on the assurance of the SP, they dispersed from the spot. Traffic was disrupted at Senthurai-Jayankondam Road for over an hour.
It may be recalled that, on the polling day, the PMK members had broken an old pot that was symbol of the VCK chief which was rebuked by the VCK cadres and an exchange of blows between the cadres ended in the ransacking of 20 houses in the Dalit Colony. The PMK cadres also damaged the vehicles and eight persons were injured in the clash.
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