PMK indulged in violence to prevent voting: VCK Chief alleges, seeks re-poll in booth

Nearly 100 residents from Ponarappi village in Ariyalur district have submitted individual affidavits alleging that they were denied their right to vote.
PMK indulged in violence to prevent voting: VCK Chief alleges, seeks re-poll in booth
PMK indulged in violence to prevent voting: VCK Chief alleges, seeks re-poll in booth
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Days after violence on polling day shook the Ponparappi village in Ariyalur district, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has written to the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) in the state, seeking a re-poll in a booth from the village. Party chief Thol Thirumavalavan has alleged that over 100 members of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) attacked Adi Dravidar (Dalit) homes near booth number 281 in the village and burnt two-wheelers parked in the area. Many were injured in the attack. The poll-day violence on April 18 also saw PMK members, belonging to the dominant Vanniyar community, attack homes bearing the 'pot' symbol (the VCK's electoral symbol this poll season). 

Thirumavalavan is also the Lok Sabha candidate from the Chidambaram constituency to which the village belongs. "They (the PMK members) indulged in caste violence and prevented the people in the area from voting," he alleged in his letter to the EC on Monday, claiming that all this took place in the presence of police officers. Attached along with the letter were individual affidavits from 95 Dalit residents in the area who complained that they could not vote on account of the violence. Reiterating their position to the EC, D Ravikumar, General Secretary of the VCK, alleges that the attack was carried out with the intention of preventing Dalits from exercising their franchise.

A reply from the polling officer to VCK’s complaint on April 19 stated that a re-poll was not necessary. However, Ravikumar alleges, “Despite the provisions of Section 57 of The Representation of the People Act, 1951-- Adjournment of poll in emergencies-- the polling was not stopped. Over 200 voters were denied their rights. Such violence has been witnessed by us ever since we entered electoral politics in 1999. The PMK has rigged polling booths and burnt homes. This is their usual tactic to polarise and mobilise voters.”

The Act states, “If at an election the proceedings at any polling station provided under section 25 or at the place fixed under sub-section (1) of section 29 for the poll are interrupted or obstructed by any riot or open violence, or if at an election it is not possible to take the poll at any polling station or such place on account of any natural calamity, or any other sufficient cause the presiding officer for such polling station or the returning officer presiding over such place, as the case may be, shall announce an adjournment of the poll to a date to be notified later, and where the poll is so adjourned by a presiding officer, he shall forthwith inform the returning officer concerned.”

Ravikumar also alleges that of the re-poll recommended by the CEO in 10 polling booths in the state, eight were on account of the PMK’s ‘booth-capturing’. Meanwhile, the PMK has responded to the allegations by stating that their cadre too have been injured. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, PMK leader K Balu said that almost all those present at the place of violence were inebriated. "All parties went to enquire about the violence. The VCK cadres present threw many stones. They (the VCK cadres) were then chased. Our cadre only called the police," he alleged. They also alleged that a journalist belonging to a Tamil television network was attacked by VCK cadre in the violence.

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