The VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi) chief, Thirumavalavan, has stirred controversy with his recent comments on the Vengaivayal issue in Pudukkottai district. Speaking at a VCK meeting, Thirumavalavan suggested that if justice is not served to the people of Vengaivayal, they would have no option but to change their religion. This statement has raised eyebrows, particularly since his party is allied with the ruling DMK. Critics are questioning whether Thirumavalavan’s remarks are part of a larger agenda to promote religious conversions, rather than pressuring the government for justice in the case.
Thirumavalavan, who also serves as a Member of Parliament for Chidambaram, has repeatedly criticized the police investigation and charge sheet in the case. During his speech, he referenced the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, stating that Ambedkar was a staunch opponent of Sanatan and even more radical than EV Ramasamy Naicker (EVR) in his stance on religion. He emphasized that if justice is not delivered in Vengai Vayal, the people there would have no choice but to change their religion. Thirumavalavan added that while he had advised people not to rush, he still stressed the importance of justice being served in the case.
He said, “If there is any revolutionary who fought against Sanatana Dharma until his last breath, it is the revolutionary B.R. Ambedkar. He went a step ahead of Periyar, stating, ‘You will humiliate me as long as I remain in this religion, so I will convert.’ I want to indicate that if justice is not served in Vengaivayal, it will inevitably that people will take that decision.”
#வேங்கைவயலில் தீர்வு திட்டவில்லை என்றால் மக்கள் மதமாற்றம் செய்வதை யாரும் தடுக்க முடியாது pic.twitter.com/T4a4wkZzY4
— @VCK_IT_WING (@VCK_in) February 4, 2025
After a two-year investigation into the Vengaivayal case, where an overhead drinking water tank was intentionally contaminated with human faeces in a Scheduled Caste village in Pudukkottai district, the Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court on 24 January 2025, that three individuals were involved in the incident. The government revealed that Sudarsan, Muthukrishnan, and Muraliraja, all from the Vengaivayal area, were linked to the crime. However, this revelation has not satisfied local residents, opposition parties, or even the ruling DMK allies, all calling for a CBI investigation amid suspicions surrounding the case.
A charge sheet was filed against the accused, alleging that Muraliraja spread false information, while Sudarsan and Muthukrishnan climbed onto the overhead tank and deliberately contaminated the water with human feces. Reports suggest the act was motivated by revenge against the husband of the Muttukadu panchayat president. The incident, which occurred on 26 December 2022, shocked the village, as human waste was discovered in the overhead water tank supplying water to Scheduled Caste residents. Initially, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the case, and it was later transferred to the CB-CID in 2023.
After the charge sheet was filed in the Madras High Court, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, an ally of the ruling DMK, urged the court not to accept the charge sheet and called for a CBI investigation into the sensitive case. Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam echoed Thirumavalavan’s demands, urging the DMK government to hand the case over to the central agency to uncover the “real culprits.”
Thirumavalavan expressed his shock at the police’s final report, which implicated three Dalits as the perpetrators, and accused the authorities of attempting to protect the true offenders. He further argued that the case should be transferred to the CBI to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident.
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