Demanding stringent action against miscreants who desecrated portraits of B.R. Ambedkar and other Dalit leaders at Senthimangalam village near here, a group of villagers staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate here on Monday and submitted a petition to Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish.
The villagers, who were accompanied by office-bearers of a few Dalit outfits, said the portrait of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, kept at a public place in the village, was found vandalised by unidentified miscreants and the incident triggered tension in the area. Against this backdrop, the portraits of Ambedkar, freedom fighter Sundaralingam and other caste leaders, kept at another public place, were found desecrated on Monday morning.
The petitioners said miscreants were vandalising the portraits of late leaders with an ulterior motive of disturbing peace in the village, where people of different castes were living amicably.
The Collector forwarded their petition to police for necessary action.
A group of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi cadre, after staging a demonstration in front of the Collectorate, submitted a petition to the Collector protesting the insanitary conditions prevailing at Melapalayam Karim Nagar and Amutha Nagar. They said lack of underground drainage facility in their area resulted in stagnation of rainwater and sewage on the road.
They requested the Collector to instruct Corporation officials to clear stagnant rainwater and sewage from the road and start work on underground drainage.
A group of Indian National League cadre, led by office-bearers Sait Badhusha and Khader Basha, submitted a petition seeking the release of 44 Muslim youth serving life term in Palayamkottai Central Prison as part of the MGR birth centenary celebrations.
A group of autorickshaw drivers submitted a petition to the Collector seeking instructions to Corporation authorities to impound stray cattle wandering on roads in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai.
Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam cadre submitted a petition urging the State government to issue a gazette notification recognizing Kudumbar, Pannadi, Kaladi, Kadaiyan, Vathiyan, Pallar and Devendrakulathan sub-sects as Devendrakula Vellalars.
HMS cadre held
Six Hindu Maha Sabha cadre were arrested when they tried to stop the vehicle of the Collector when it was entering the Collectorate to highlight their demand for removal of a liquor shop established near Kurukkuthurai Murugan Temple here. Since they could not submit their petition to the Collector, they dumped it in a garbage bin.
A group of farmers submitted a petition to the Collector against the proposed 147 km-long four-lane highway from Tirumangalam to Shencottai.