VCK founder Thol. Thirumavalavan on Tuesday questioned the recent police action against the party’s women cadre in Salem’s Morur bus stand when they attempted to install a pole for the party flag.
Leading a protest against the incident in front of the Chennai Collectorate, he, however, made it clear that the relations between his party and the ruling DMK were intact and he was opposing only the “anti-Dalit mindset” of the police and officials. (Chief Minister M.K. Stalin handles the Police Department.)
“This is a protest against the bureaucracy and its functioning. People in the government create policies, but the bureaucrats implement it. Therefore, there is a need to flag the anti-Dalit mindset to the ruling dispensation. We will meet the Chief Minister regarding this,” he said.
According to him, “There is a difference between the ruling dispensation and the government ( Aatchi and Arasu ). Certain officials don’t like our party, our flags…they don’t like our wall paintings…these are done by police officers. We will take permission from the police and go there to raise the flag.”
“No matter which party is in power, the police are bent on suppressing the VCK. The police have a casteist approach towards the VCK,” he alleged. This doesn’t happen in all districts – but certain officers in police and revenue departments are doing this, which and this has created a wrong impression about the party in the minds of the people...” This has affected the reputation and goodwill of the party.”
He would urge Mr. Stalin to take appropriate action against specific officials.
“Members of other communities did not raise any issue when the VCK cadre approached the Salem police to hoist party flags in a public place. It was not near any community’s residing place. It is a place where other parties have installed their flags. The PMK and their caste association’s flags are placed in the public place,” he said.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said police immediately claimed that the PMK was opposing the move to hoist the flags even when the VCK Salem district secretary spoke to a PMK MLA on the phone, who said they did not oppose it and police were using their party’s name inappropriately. “Police did not accept this and said the party cannot hoist the flag on the highway. Police then said they would remove all the flags in a fortnight. The VCK cadre argued that they could remove their flags too. and demanded their right to hoist their flags.This is the crux of the problem. When police were determined not to allow the VCK workers and lathi-charged them, the casteist forces came there and joined in,” he said. According to him, such instances have been happening in the last 10 years. VCK will hold similar protests in Salem and Madurai on September 30 and October 1, respectively.
