Alleging caste-based discrimination, the Palladam Panchayat Union Chairperson D. Thenmozhi of the ruling DMK has sought an appointment with the Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, to describe her plight.
Ms. Thenmozhi, who belongs to Scheduled Caste community, claimed that she was not being allowed to perform her duties. “I am anticipating a response from the party circles to my request for an audience with the Chief Minister. If need be, I am prepared to quit the post,” she said.
“My primary grievance is that officials who have been supportive of the local body for executing government schemes are being transferred frequently with deliberate intent of cutting me down to size. Leave alone the party meetings, I am not even invited to the government functions in the Panchayat Union area in which the local Minister M.P. Saminathan participates,” Ms. Thenmozhi said.
In the recent instance, Ms. Thenmozhi was said to have been shunned from functions conducted in the local body for inauguration of the extended Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme.
According to political observers in Tiruppur, Ms. Thenmozhi’s revolt has been triggered by groupism in the party between the supporters of Minister and Kangeyam MLA M.P. Saminathan and Tiruppur North MLA K. Selvaraj. Ms. Themmozhi is perceived to be the latter’s supporter.
