DMK leader D Manickam was arrested by the police under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for hurling casteist abuses at a Dalit young man who entered the Mariamman temple on January 26 at Thirumalaigiri village of Salem district, Tamil Nadu.
“How dare you enter the temple?” Manickam is seen asking the 23-year-old man, identified as Praveen Kumar, as the crowd gathers.
Manickam, who was DMK’s Salem east district south union secretary, has been suspended by the party after the video went viral.
On Monday, on its official Twitter page, the political party tweeted, “‘Disciplinary Action’ -Announcement of the President’s Association.”
However, according to Manickam, the Dalit entered the temple in an inebriated state. Maintaining he has ‘good relations’ with the Dalits of his area, he accused some to defame his image.
“The villagers brought him before me the following day to make him apologise. I warned him not to do this while there were already many issues going on in the village. As I have a good relationship with the Dalit people, I took the liberty and warned him. Some are trying to give political colour to this issue due to the byelection in Erode (East) Assembly constituency,” he said.
Accepting his suspension, Manickam added, “People, who term me anti-Dalit, should inquire with our village, especially the local Dalits, on how I am helping them and what the real reason behind the incident is.”
Manickam was produced before the jurisdictional magistrate and later remanded in prison.
