'AIADMK govt dividing people through reservation for Vanniyars': Thol.Thirumavalavan

Leader of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Member of Parliament Thirumavalavan has said that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu is creating fissures among the people of the state by providing 10.5% reservation for the Vanniyar community under the Most Backward Classes (MBC) quota for government jobs and admissions to educational institutions.

He also lashed out at the Pattali Makkal Katchi(PMK) which is the political outfit of the Vanniyar community and asked whether the demand of the party for 20% reservation to the community was a hoax.

The senior Dalit leader who was a forensic officer in the Tamil Nadu government and who had resigned  from service in 1999 to contest the elections, said the decision of the state government will lead to nothing but division of the people of the state on caste and community lines.

Thirumavalavan said that the AIADMK government is controlled by the BJP and the actions and decisions taken by the Edappadi K Palaniswami government reflects its dependence on the BJP government at the Centre. He added that the BJP policies of dividing people on caste and communal lines is being implemented in Tamil Nadu and said that this will lead to major tension in the state.

Speaking to IANS over telephone he said, "The Vanniyar community is also being cheated by the AIADMK, PMK and BJP combine and the people of that community will give a fitting response to those in power in the state for cheating them. The PMK even settled for 10.5% reservation based on the 1931 census instead of the 20% reservation the Vanniyar community has been demanding."

The MP also voiced suspicions about Tamil Nadu governor Bhanwari Lal Purohit and said that the governor was acting at the behest of the central government and making the state government dance to the tune of the Centre. He said that the governor did not delay in signing the 10.5% reservation bill for Vanniyars under the MBC quota on the same day it was passed in the assembly while he had delayed the bill on reservation for students of government schools for admission to medical colleges.