News Tamil Nadu

DMK MLA hurls casteist abuse and derogates SC community, netizens call out Thiruma’s stoic silence

November 25, 2020
The Commune

A video has been going viral in social media in which a DMK MLA can be seen hurling casteist abuses and threatening to kill a person during a ‘katta panchayat’ session (illegal kangaroo courts) held at the DMK office in Krishnagiri.

Senguttavan, the DMK MLA from Krishnagiri, was holding a ‘katta panchayat’ session regarding a land dispute between two parties. He had threatened to kill one of the parties if they didn’t obey his diktats.

In the video the legislator who is also the district secretary of the DMK in Krishnagiri, can be heard hurling abuses in Tamil and charging at a man. He threatens to break the bones of the person and hang him to death. He also says “Instead of being born a ‘high caste’, you should have been born a Paraiyan” (a disrespectful way of calling the Dalit caste Paraiyar).

It is being said that Senguttavan frequently indulges in holding ‘katta panchayat’ to the displeasure of others in the party. This video is said to have been leaked in social media by one of the party men.

However, the DMK MLA has refuted that he abused and threatened the persons.  He said that the concerned parties had approached him after one of them had registered the property despite receiving ₹10.5 lakhs advance from the other. He said that there was no connection between him and the land in question.

It is clear that the DMK MLA had used casteist abuses and also derogated the Dalit community through his remarks although the members themselves do not seem to be belonging to the community.

Netizens took to social media to lash out at the DMK and also pointed out the stoic silence of the DMK’s alliance partner Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)’s Thol. Thirumavalavan.

In light of this, T. Anandan, leader of the BJP’s SC wing in Krishnagiri has filed a complaint with the District Superintendent of Police asking for the DMK MLA to be booked under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.