Officials covered statue on casteist diktat, says CPM state secretary P Shanmugam

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Sunday urged the State government and the Salem district administration to immediately reopen the BR Ambedkar statue in Othiyathur village in Gangavalli taluk in Salem, which had been designed in a seated posture with one leg crossed over the other and was later covered following objections from a section of people.

In a statement, Shanmugam said the statue's design had drawn opposition from a section that objected to its inauguration. He said the district administration had inaugurated the statue after accepting the Dalit residents' demand to open it.

However, following renewed protests from another section seeking its closure, the administration allegedly yielded to pressure instead of taking action against those opposing the statue on caste grounds, and covered it with metal sheets.

Shanmugam condemned the police action against Dalit residents who staged a protest demanding that the statue be reopened. He also criticised the alleged lathi charge and the arrest of several protesters from the Dalit community.

The CPM leader demanded that the district administration immediately reopen the Ambedkar statue and initiate action against government officials responsible for its closure, which he described as illegal.

He also called for action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those opposing the statue on caste grounds and sought the immediate release of those arrested for participating in the protest.