The Republican Party of India (Athawale) president and Rajya Sabha MP Ramadas Athawale on Wednesday said Dalits should be permitted to have arms in Tamil Nadu.
He was to here to participate in a meeting of office-bearers. Later talking to press persons, he said atrocities against Dalits had been increasing in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
“If the government and police are not able to give protection to Dalits, they should permission to Dalits to have arms. If such permission is given to them, the atrocities against them will be less,” Mr. Athawale said.
He also said a separate police officer in the level of Senior Superintendent of Police should be appointed in each district to deal the cases of atrocities against the Dalits.
In Villupuram, Mr. Athawale also visited the house of Senthil, 27-year-old Dalit youth, whose limbs was allegedly chopped off by members of an upper caste as he fell in love with a girl of that caste.
