Security continued to remain tight at Silambur village where prohibitory order was clamped by the district administration on Wednesday to avert a clash between two communities which were at logger heads over right to worship in a temple.
Around 200 police personnel who were deployed at the village on Wednesday to maintain law and order continued to remain on Thursday as a precautionary measure, police sources said. A large posse of policemen was posted at the village in the wake of a temple entry agitation call given by the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front on Wednesday.
The district administration clamped Section 144 of the Cr. PC in the wake of the agitation call with the police arresting over 100 persons belonging to the VCK and the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front on Wednesday.
The Ayyanar temple built on a government poromboke land in the village was sealed by the officials on Wednesday consequent to the temple entry agitation call.
The Untouchability Eradication Front claimed that Dalits were denied right to worship in the temple for the past two years despite the shrine coming under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and constructed on a government poromboke land.
Meanwhile, the Andimadam police arrested four persons on the charge of assaulting K. Velmurugan, a Dalit, because of the temple issue when the latter was going to his relative’s house at Silambur. According to police, the accused had abused Velmurugan uttering his caste name and assaulted him besides threatening him. The accused were remanded. The Andimadam police booked a case under the SC/ST Act.
