CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam has condemned the alleged caste-based attack on Scheduled Caste residents during a wedding function in Nettur village of Tenkasi district, in which seven persons were injured.
In a statement, Shanmugam said the incident stemmed from a dispute over the erection of a wedding flex banner on Matha Koil Street. He alleged that a youth from another community objected to the banner on May 28, leading to a confrontation, which was brought to the attention of the Alangulam police.
The CPM leader claimed that several complaints relating to atrocities against Scheduled Caste residents had been filed in the village over the past five months, but police had failed to register cases and instead settled disputes through informal mediation. Shanmugam alleged that caste prejudice was behind the attack and said recurring incidents of caste violence in Tenkasi district were being enabled by the failure to take legal action against offenders.
He urged the State government to initiate departmental action against police personnel who allegedly failed to act on earlier complaints and demanded that those involved in the attack be booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He also sought relief, rehabilitation and protection for the affected families.