States » SouthPosted at: Jan 31 2021 6:16PM

Chennai, Jan 31 (UNI) Accepting Tamil Nadu Government's
invitation to hold talks on its demand for 20 per cent internal
reservation for Vanniyars within the MBC quota, the Pattali
Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the ruling AIADMK, on
Sunday said a political decision would be taken after that
meeting.
A resolution to this effect was adopted at the special
governing council held virutally and addressed by Party
Founder Dr S Ramadoss.
The meeting convened to take a decision on the alliance
for the ensuing Assembly elections due in April-May,
accepted the government's invitation to discuss the
issue of quota for Vanniyars.
As the PMK's demand was not met despite repeated pleas,
today's meeting was expected to take a political decision,
on whether to continue in alliance or not.
In this backdrop, senior AIADMK leaders Electricity Minister
P Thangamani, Muncipal Administration Minister S P Velumani,
Law Minister C.Ve.Shanmugam and Higher Education Minister
K.P. Anbazhagan met Dr Ramadoss last event at his Thailapuram
residence and said the State government was ready to discuss
the issue in the city on February three.
“Dr Ramadoss explained to the Governing Council members
on what transpired in the meeting with Ministers and the
Council meeting adopted an unanimous resolution accepting
the invitation and participate in the talks on February 3",
it said.
The governing council will meet again and take a decision
based on the outcome of the February three meeting, it said.
It said protests for separate 20 per cent reservations for Vanniyars
were launched on December one and the party had also organised
agitations in six phases across Tamil Nadu to press its demand.
Today's meeting was in continuance of a similar meeting held on
January nine during which Dr Ramadoss had said that the party
was modifying its demand of 20 per cent reservation for Vanniyars
to ‘internal quota’ for them within the MBC quota.
“Though the 20 per cent reservation for MBCs was won by the
Vanniyar Sangam, we believe that other castes in the MBCs
should also be given representation. Therefore, we decided to
modify our demand and seek an internal quota to gain substantial
representation for the Vanniyars,” he had said.
Subsequently, two senior AIADMK Ministers met Dr Ramadoss at
his Thailapuram residence near Tindivanam to discuss the issue.
The PMK also staged a spate of protests to press their demand
for 20 per cent quota and one such agitation on December one,
2020 turned violent, when the party cadres were stopped from
marching towards Chennai.
The enraged PMK and Vanniyar cadres pelted stones on trains
and caused damages to public property.
As the protests showed signs of intensifying, Chief Minister
Edappadi K Palaniswami held a meeting with Dr Anbumani at
the State Secretariat after he announced that a commission
will be formed to study the modalities of carrying out caste
census in the state.
Justifying the need for caste census, Chief Minister said
as the case for 69 per cent reservation was pending in
Supreme Court, the data related to castes need to be taken.
Sources in the PMK said it would not compromise on the issue
of reservation for Vanniyars and PMK was firm on its stand
that it would ally with AIADMK only if the ruling party
announces 20 per cent reservation for Vanniyar community.
UNI GV 1814