Thiruppalai BJP SC wing state president S Venkatesan and others were chased and attacked by Vidhuthalai Chiruthalaigal Katchi (VCK) cadres objecting to their garlanding Ambedkar statue on 14th April on his Jayanthi.
There were tense moments at the Thallakulam outpost area in Madurai as members of VCK allegedly attacked BJP and RSS workers who were trying to garland the statue of Dr Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary.
According to police, trouble started when VCK members objected to BJP and RSS cadres garlanding the statue. They got into a verbal duel with them and started pelting stones and wooden clubs. BJP and RSS cadres obeying the police appeal and left the place. But VCK workers chased them and continued their attack. BJP district president Maha Suseendran later told the media that Thirupalai area functionary Velmurugan suffered injuries in the incident and being is getting treated at the hospital. He said VCK men used foul language against them and chased them. Despite their opposition, he said, they had garlanded the statue two hours later.
BJP state SC wing president Venkatesan who also received injuries in the attack made a complaint with the Thallakularm police against VCK district secretary Kathiravan and functionaries K Pandiammal, Mohana, Thamarivalavan and 50 others in this connection. VCK’s Madurai Lok Sabha constituency secretary R Pandiammal said BJP members arrived with a garland when they were waiting for their leader Thol Thirumavalavan. She said they asked BJP leaders to wait till their boss garland the statue. She said BJP leaders raised slogans against VCK and its leader besides hurling stones. She lodged a complaint against Suseendran and 10 others. Thirumavalavan said the sanatana forces were coming to garland the statue in the guise of a democratic force. He claimed that Ambedkar till his last breath had fought in thought and acted against sanatana forces.
This was not the first time, BJP, Indu Makkal Katchi and others were opposed to garlanding the Ambedkar statue. Last December 6 on his death anniversary, VCK cadres opposed and attacked Indu Makkal Katchi leader Arjun Sampath and others. VCK claims it is the sole rights to garland the Ambedkar statue. VCK nor any other outfits did not raise their voices when DMK chief M K Stalin garland the statue with slippers on his feet (see pic) but they oppose BJP and others who want pay tribute to Ambedkar.
