Deevattipatti temple Dalits row: VCK protest on May 8

CHENNAI: Members of VCK would stage a protest in Salem on May 8 against the caste discrimination and denial of the rights for the Dalits in Deevattipatti to enter the village temple during the annual temple festival.

VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, in a statement, strongly condemned the caste violation that followed heated arguments between a group of Dalits and Vanniyars, who stopped the former from entering the temple during the festival on Thursday last.

The demonstration would be staged to demand rights for the marginalised section of the society to offer prayer in Mariamman Temple in the village. VCK general secretary D Ravikumar would head the demonstration and address the gathering, said Thirumavalavan and appealed to the party functionaries and likeminded people to participate in the demonstration in large numbers to make it a success.

The incident took place on Thursday when the police officials held peace talks with the representatives of the Dalits and Vanniyars and other intermediate castes in the village. While Dalits demanded that they should be treated equally and allowed into the temple to offer prayer, the intermediate castes vehemently opposed it and insisted it was against the age-old practice of the village.

The demo would be staged to demand rights for the marginalised to offer prayer in Mariamman Temple in the village

Heated argument snowballed into a fisticuff as a section of either side exchanged blows and resorted to stone pelting at each other. Some miscreants have also set fire to shops along the National Highway in the village. The police, however, managed to bring the situation under control following reinforcement and around 30 persons have been arrested in connection with the caste violence and arson.