PUDUKKOTTAI: The police on Thursday booked 41 caste Hindus under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly preventing Dalits from participating in the annual car festival of Moongil Ayyanar temple at Valavampatti near Gandharvakottai in the district.
The action follows cancellation of the temple car procession on Sunday following a dispute between Dalits and the temple’s traditional eight ‘karaikarars’, who belong to caste Hindu communities, over participation in the festival. It may be noted that the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had ordered allotting separate days for rituals by the two communities.
The annual festival, which began on July 17, witnessed tension on Saturday when Dalits prepared pongal and attempted to take the processional deity around the temple before pulling the chariot. They claimed that the karaikarars prevented them from doing so, triggering a blockade on Thanjavur-Pudukkottai NH.
With failed peace talks on Sunday, the district administration cancelled the temple car procession. Police continue to be deployed in the village.