"Dravidian Movement Empowered Dalits": DMK Leader Hits Back At Governor

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan today said barring a few sporadic incidents of caste violence, the Dravidian movement empowered Dalits with education and employment. He added that "the government is taking action against incidents of caste atrocities".

"It is because of the Dravidian movement that Dalits and OBCs, who were denied education and employment, received education and jobs. We empowered them with education and employment," DMK's TKS Elangovan said.

Mr Elangovan was replying after Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi took a dig at the DMK government and held them responsible for a rise in the number of attacks against Dalits.

"There were sporadic incidents created by Hindutva policy of Manu Dharma that some are born upper caste and some lower caste. This is not our culture. It has come from the north, from Manu Dharma," he added.

"Culprits are promoters of Hindu religion," Mr Elangovan alleged.

"They (BJP leaders) speak what they were told to speak. There is no place for independent-thinking people in BJP or RSS. They have to obey the orders of the high command," he took a dig at Governor RN Ravi.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi lashed out at the DMK government, holding it "responsible for a rise in the number of attacks" against Dalits in Tamil Nadu.

The Governor said law enforcement and the criminal justice system have failed to stop alleged crimes against Dalits.

"In our state, we are talking so much about social justice but every other day you hear some atrocities against Dalits," TN Governor R N Ravi said at the launch of the Tamil edition of the book 'MODI @ 20' (Dreams Meet Delivery) and 'Ambedkar & Modi (Reformer's Idea, Performers Implementation)' in Chennai Guindy Anna University.

He also condemned the Vengaival incident reported last month in which human excreta was found in water tanks. "When it comes to crime against Dalits, the response of the law enforcement authorities and the criminal justice system is awful in the state," Governor said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)