Sanarpuram tense after group clash over car fest

Eight Dalits and a caste Hindu were injured in the clash. Following this, various organisations on Monday staged a road blockade agitation condemning the police which failed to initiate action. 

According to sources, the car festival of Vada Badrakaliamman temple in Sannapuram near Kumbakonam was held on Sunday night and the caste Hindus in the village objected to the car being taken in procession through the area where Dalits resided. Subsequently, a few Dalit youths approached the temple priest and questioned this. Even as a heated argument was on, a group of caste Hindus assaulted the Dalit youth who questioned the decision. 

Sources said both sides started attacking each other and three more Dailt youth, who were attacked with sharp weapons, suffered injuries. 

As the situation was going out of control, revenue authorities, including the Tahsildar of Tiruvidaimarudur, rushed to the spot and the car procession was stopped. Revenue authorities along with police then took the car away from the spot. The injured Dalit youth were admitted to the Kumbakonam GH. 

On Monday morning, a few Dalit youths of Sannapuram reportedly assaulted a youth from the caste Hindu community whom they claimed to be one of the members group that assaulted them on Sunday night. 

To prevent escalation of the situation, police officials, led by Pandi, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tiruvidaimarudur, resorted to a mild lathi-charge against the Dalits, sources said. Following this the cadre of VCK and other outfits staged a road blockade at Sannapuram demanding action against Tiruvidaimarudur DSP for caning the Dalits. 

Three youths who were allegedly injured in the lathicharge were admitted to Tiruvidaimarudur Government Hospital and later referred to Kumbakonam.