TVK stages statewide protest in Tamil Nadu demanding caste census

Chennai: The TVK members staged an agitation in the district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on Thursday, demanding that the state government immediately conduct a caste census.

The agitation, in which scores of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam members participated, also condemned the state government on the alleged deterioration of the law and order situation in the state, and also sought the government to withdraw the guidelines issued for political parties in the wake of the Karur stampede that left over 41 dead and many injured.

The party's general secretaries, Bussy Anand and Aadhav Arjuna, participated in the protest held in front of the Chennai collectorate, while chief coordinator K A Sengottaiyan and joint general secretary C T R Nirmal Kumar participated in the agitations held by the party in Erode and Madurai, respectively.

The members condemned the state government for increasing crimes and a lack of safety for women, besides the rise in the drug menace.

Meanwhile,  TVK Chief Vijay has been asked to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an enquiry into the Karur stampede case.

On September 27 last year, during the public outreach programme of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay in Karur, a crowd stampede occurred, resulting in the deaths of 41 people. The case is being investigated by the CBI as per the Supreme Court's directions.

Earlier in January, inquiries were made at the Karur CBI office with nine police personnel who were on security duty during the Karur stampede even as TVK Chief Vijay appeared for the second phase of questioning at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office in Delhi.

The police personnel appearing for inquiry were questioned by CBI officials about the time and place of their deployment during Vijay's campaign event on September 27, the sequence of events during the stampede, and other details related to the security arrangements in place at the time.

So far, the CBI has questioned several individuals, including the relatives of those who lost their lives in the stampede, the injured persons, ambulance drivers and owners, doctors who conducted the post-mortems, residents of the Veluchamipuram area, members of the public, traders, and office-bearers of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

In this context, the actor-turned politician Vijay had already appeared in person and given explanations to the CBI at its Delhi office earlier.