Dalits staged a protest in front of B.R. Ambedkar statue at Anuppanadi in Madurai condemning police action against youth of their community. The protestors said that motorcycle-borne miscreants had entered the area on Thursday afternoon with weapons and clubs and asked the shopkeepers in the Nadutheru area to down shutters.
However, a few Dalit youth chased away the miscreants but the police who came to the spot arrested Dalit youth Suresh (28) and Lakshmanan(27) who had chased them. The police should release them and take action against people who indulged in violence.
The villagers alleged that during the bandh on Wednesday, motorcycle-borne miscreants entered Nadutheru in Anuppanadi demanding closure of shops and damaged two petty shops. The police had been harassing Dalit youth since the October-30 tragedy. Later in the evening, after holding talks with the elders in the community, the police released the youth.
Keywords: Anuppanadi protests, Dalit protests
