CHENNAI: To condemn Union Minister Amit Shah for his alleged comments against BR Ambedkar and to demand an apology, a large number of cadres and leaders of the DMK staged demonstrations across the state, including various locations in Chennai.
Following the DMK leadership’s call for a protest, hundreds of cadres from the South Chennai West district unit gathered near Valluvar Kottam under the leadership of the district secretary. DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi, spokesperson TKS Elangovan, and others elaborated on the purpose of the protest during the event.
In his speech, RS Bharathi recalled how the erstwhile DMK government honoured BR Ambedkar by naming the Tamil Nadu Law University as Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University, noting it was the first university in India to bear Ambedkar’s name.
Similarly, several district units of the DMK in Chennai conducted protests in areas such as the city centre, Velachery, Virugambakkam, Saidapet, Otteri, and elsewhere. Likewise, cadres from the VCK also staged protests at various locations in Chennai.
On behalf of the TNCC, a protest was held on Anna Salai, led by former union minister KV Thangkabalu, TNCC Assembly Floor Leader S Rajeshkumar, and other elected representatives and party cadres.
Meanwhile, hundreds of cadres and leaders from the CPM staged a protest under the leadership of the party’s state secretary, K Balakrishnan.
In a related development, Minister for Law and Prisons S Regupathy criticised AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for remaining silent on the issue.
Additionally, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president and actor Kamal Haasan stated that discussions in Parliament about Ambedkar’s ideas should inspire progress rather than offend the sentiments of his followers, including himself.