In a recent meeting with the press held in Aroor, Dharmapuri district, PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) leader Anbumani Ramadoss addressed several key issues such as emphasising the need for a caste-wise census in Tamil Nadu, expressing concerns about the escalating drug trade in Tamil Nadu, adversely affecting students and youth and also proposed the immediate employment of 20,000 individuals in the police department, including youth, ex-army personnel, and former police officers, to combat the drug menace effectively.
Addressing the recent controversies surrounding Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president Annamalai’s comments on Dravidian ideologue EVR also referred to as Periyar, Ramadoss strongly condemned the criticism. He said, “We can’t do anything about that. This is the land of Thandhai Periyar. It is wrong to talk like that on this land. Had it not been for Periyar, there would not have been social justice in Tamil Nadu. He is the one who started social justice in India. In India, after the independence, when we were trying to get reservation and the court had prevented it, under the leadership of Periyar, several protests were held. Only after that and because there was no way out, the government brought the first amendment. Not only that, only after him, all the downtrodden people were able to rise up. So, Annamalai or the party and people associated with him shouldn’t talk derogatorily about Thandhai Periyar. We consider 3 leaders as the pioneers of the PMK – One is Thandhai Periyar, the other is Ambedkar, and the third one is Karl Marx. If anyone talks bad about these three, we will not be quiet.”
— Blue Sattai Maran (@tamiltalkies) November 9, 2023
Speaking at Srirangam earlier this week, Annamalai declared that, when the BJP came to power in the state, immediate action would be taken to remove plaques and statues of non-believers, particularly those of Periyar, positioned outside temples across the state. This statement stirred strong reactions, particularly among followers of the Dravidian ideology.
தமிழகத்தில் பாஜக ஆட்சி அமைக்கும் போது ஸ்ரீரங்கத்தில் ஆழ்வார்கள் சிலை வைக்கப்படும்#EnMannEnMakkal #Annamalai pic.twitter.com/M2t702sw91
— En Mann En Makkal (@EnMannEnMakkal) November 7, 2023
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram and WhatsApp and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.