Members of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) took out a silent rally here on Friday, demanding a judicial probe into the death of Dalit boy E.Ilavarasan, whose marriage with a Vanniyar girl, Divya, led to caste violence in Dharmapuri district last year.
The rally started at B.R.Ambedkar statue near Alagarkoil Road and passed through Dr.Ambedkar Road, Gandhi Museum Road and District Collector’s Office Road and culminated in front of Thiruvalluvar statue.
State-level VCK functionary Inquilab said the injury marks on the body of the boy led one to believe that it was a cold-blooded murder.
VCK cadre demanded the arrest of Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S.Ramadoss, MLA J.Guru and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss for spreading anti-Dalit feelings among the public, and pointed that their pressure tactics led to the death of Ilavarasan.
Atrocities against the Scheduled Castes had increased during the last two years and there were forums which were openly spreading anti-Dalit rhetoric, Mr.Inquilab.
The VCK men demanded that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act - 1989 needed to be strengthened to protect the vulnerable sections of the population.
District party secretaries R.Ayyankaalai, S.S.Anbazhagan and A.Chellapandian participated in the rally.
On Friday morning, members of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, Hill Tribes Association and Democratic Youth Federation of India staged a protest, demanding judicial enquiry into the death of Ilavarasan. Their other major demand was that the Tamil Nadu Government should follow reservation policy in Teacher Eligibility Tests.
