PUDUKKOTTAI: The number of arrests made in connection with the communal clash in Vadakadu rose to 28 with the arrest of two more persons on Saturday. According to police, 20 caste Hindus and 6 Dalits had earlier been arrested in this connection. On Saturday, one person from each group was arrested, taking the total to 28.
Violence broke out on May 5 when a dispute between Dalits and caste Hindus over rights at a temple festival escalated into an attack in a Dalit residential area, leaving several people injured on both sides. Following the incident, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan alleged that Dalits, traditionally allowed to pull the car of the Muthumariamman temple, were denied that right on May 5.
Countering his statement, the ‘Servaikaranpatti servai’, a caste Hindu organisation, claimed a 300-year-old right over the ritual. The organisation filed a complaint in Vadakadu police station accusing Thirumavalavan of spreading false and provocative remarks.
Responding to this on Sunday Thirumavalavan said his comments were based on inputs from affected people, and would stand corrected if proven wrong.