Pongalur Issue
People of various villages taking out a procession from Avanashipalayam to Pongalur on Monday condemning certain community-based outfits. Residents of Pongalur belonging to caste Hindus took out a rally from Avanashipalayam to Pongalur in protest against the alleged efforts of some outfits to trigger communal clash and the reported refusal by the police to act against those who were involved. The residents presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister through District Revenue Officer S. Prabhakaran. The memorandum said a couple Subramaniam and Shanti and their three-year-old child were beaten up by a group of people near Valoopramman Temple in Pongalur on August 3. The police did not take cognisance of the complaint filed by the victims because of the involvement of outfits owing affiliation to a particular community.
The police had chosen to register cases under the Protection of Civil Rights Act. The residents accused the Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector of taking sides with the outfits. They demanded stern action against the outfits against those who raised slogans demeaning the caste Hindus and release of those who were arrested by the police without conducting any inquiry.
