Efforts made by District Collector E. Vallavan on Saturday to persuade Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and Hindu Munnani from going ahead with their plans to organise bandh next week in the Union Territory have failed to yield any results.
While Hindu Munnani has called for a bandh on Tuesday to protest against the recent controversial remarks made by DMK M.P A. Raja on Manusmriti, the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam plans to organise a bandh on Monday against the policies of the BJP government at the Centre.
After the meeting with District Collector, Hindu Munnani leader Sanil Kumar said they are going ahead with the bandh as per schedule. The leaders of Dravidar Kazhagam had informed the Collector that they would reconsider the decision only if Hindu Munnani withdraws its plan for the strike.
The meeting was convened by the Collector to convince the representatives of both the organisations to withdraw their call for bandh to avoid inconvenience to the public.
The cadre of both organisations had entered into an open confrontation near Anna Salai last week while staging separate protests on the Manusmriti comments made by the DMK MP.
“We have time left to convince them from going ahead with the strike. If the organisations still decide to go ahead with the bandh, the administration will take appropriate steps to provide security to life and property after consulting the government,” Mr. Vallavan told The Hindu.
Meanwhile, a meeting of leaders of Secular Democratic Progressive alliance held on Saturday, had decided not to extend support to the bandh on Monday.
A resolution passed at the meeting of leaders belonging to the Congress, DMK, CPI, CPI (M), VCK and various other outfits, condemned the efforts being made by Sangh Parivar outfits to fan communal tensions in the Union Territory. The parties urged people of the Union Territory to reject the communal agenda of the BJP. The Hindu Munnani was trying to create social tension and spoil the prevailing peace in the Union Territory, leaders who attended the meeting observed.
Member of Parliament V. Vaithilingam, Opposition leader R. Siva, legislators M. Vaithianathan (Congress), L. Sambath (DMK), CPI secretary A. M Saleem and CPI (M) secretary R. Rajangam were among those attended the meeting.
Published - September 24, 2022 07:54 pm IST
