New Delhi: In an incident which has captured headlines, a panchayat president belonging to Dalit community was made to sit on the floor while others sat on chairs during a meeting in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore. This also comes at a time when the conversation around Dalit atrocities in the country has been ripe owing to the recent alleged gangrape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras.
Rajeswari, president of Therkuthittai village panchayat in Cuddalore, has accused Vice-president Mohan Rajan of forcing her to sit on the floors.
“Whenever there are meetings, I am asked to sit on the floor during Panchayat board meetings by Mohan Rajan, the vice-president, because I am Dalit and they are Vanniyars. I was not allowed to hoist the flag and was told that I’m not entitled to do so. I was also threatened by Rajan when I tried to object against the treatment meted out to me,” News18 reported her as saying.
However, Rajan has categorically denied the allegations. He told the leading news channel that it was Rajeshwari’s “own decision to sit on the floor”.
A probe has been launched into the case. The Panchayat secretary has also been suspended by the District Collector. A show cause notice has been issued to the the Vice-president.