CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday condemned the recent attack on a Dalit wedding party in Tenkasi and urged the TVK government to prevent any escalation of social tensions and restore normalcy in the affected villages.
In a statement, he said reports of armed gangs attacking Scheduled Caste residents in Nettur village in Tenkasi district and Mannarkovil village near Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district were shocking and deeply disturbing.
Anbumani alleged that a nine-member gang, which arrived on two-wheelers wearing masks, attacked residents of Mathakovil Street in Nettur with sickles on Friday evening, leaving six Scheduled Caste persons injured. In a separate incident at Mannarkovil, an armed group allegedly assaulted a Scheduled Caste youth, Manikandan, who sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital.
He criticised the State government for failing to prevent such incidents in the southern districts, which he described as socially sensitive regions vulnerable to caste and communal tensions.
Recalling the violence at Perumpathu village near Nanguneri in March this year, in which two persons were killed and six others injured, Anbumani cautioned against allowing a similar situation to recur.
He urged the State government and district administrations to take immediate steps to restore peace and normalcy in the affected villages and to ensure that no social conflict or tension develops in the region.
Stating that even minor disputes in districts such as Tirunelveli and Tenkasi could escalate into major violence, Anbumani called for swift intervention to maintain law and order and prevent further unrest.