Spike in casteist attacks on SC people unmasks DMK’s social justice track record, alleges Union Minister Murugan

CHENNAI: Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan on Friday condemned the DMK government for its alleged inability to curb what he called a surge in crimes against people belonging to Scheduled Caste communities across the State.

Murugan pointed out the attack perpetrated by caste Hindus on a 21-year-old Dalit student from Melapidavur village in Sivaganga district for riding a bike. He termed the incident a grim reminder of the incompetence of the fake Dravidian model government. Such acts expose DMK’s mask of social justice, L Murugan added.

The government's abject failure to protect people from the Scheduled Castes shows how hollow the DMK government’s slogans and rhetoric are, he said in a statement.

The Union minister also trained his guns on Chief Minister MK Stalin, who chairs the State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee established under the Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. "Chief Minister Stalin, as the chairman of this committee, owes the people of the State an explanation on the number of state-level meetings he has convened to address the grievances of the Scheduled Castes," Murugan demanded.

"The people of Tamil Nadu are eagerly waiting to know about his government's social justice achievements, which seem to be conspicuous by their absence," he added. The BJP MP further warned that if the DMK government fails to provide adequate justice to the victims and punish those responsible for the atrocity, it would be seen as a gross dereliction of duty.

"If your social justice record is limited to making a mockery of the Vengaivayal issue and ridiculing the affected community, then you will soon be thrown out of office," he warned.

If the DMK government failed to act, Chief Minister Stalin would earn the dubious distinction of being one of the worst Chief Ministers the State has ever seen, he charged.