Dalits in Thiruvallur protest desecration of Ambedkar’s statue

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party, Puratchi Bharatam and other Dalit outfits brought traffic to a halt in the town after unknown people tied a noose on Ambedkar’s statue at Periyapalayam in Thiruvallur.

Several Dalit organisations staged a protest in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district early on Sunday morning against the desecration of a statue of BR Ambedkar, who led the drafting of the Constitution.

The Dalit outfits conducted road blockades and forced business establishments to down shutters. The protesters demanded that the police should arrest the accused immediately. (Image used for representation). (HT FILE PHOTO.)

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party, Puratchi Bharatam and other Dalit outfits brought the traffic to a halt in the town after unknown people tied a noose on Ambedkar’s statue at Periyapalayam in Thiruvallur.

Dalits said that this was a dishonour to Ambedkar and cleaned the statue with milk and water.

The Dalit outfits conducted road blockade and forced business establishments to down shutters. The protesters demanded that the police should arrest the accused immediately.

An inquiry officer said a team had been formed to catch the accused. Uthukkottai’s deputy superintendent of police Chandra Dhasan and Periyapalayam inspector Bhaskaran held a peace meeting with local community elders and assured the Dalits of arresting the offenders.

No case had been booked against the offenders as inquiries are still underway.

In September, a mural of Ambedkar in Madurai’s Attappatti village was defaced by unknown men. Before that, another Ambedkar statue had been beheaded at Vedaranyam near Nagapattinam in August.