The Tahsildar of Avinashi in Tamil Nadu, M Tamilselvan was transferred on Tuesday, June 28 after a video showed him allegedly telling a meat stall owner not to sell beef. Tamilselvan has been transferred and posted as Special Tahsildar of Uthukuli in the reshuffle by Revenue Department officials.
In the video recorded at Kanankulam in Ayyampalayam village panchayat on Saturday night, Tamilselvan was heard saying, “You can sell chicken, mutton but you should not sell beef.” Following the incident, Tamil Nadu Minister for Revenue KKSSR Ramachandran ordered the Tirupur District Collector to conduct an inquiry.
On Monday, the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front with members of 13 other political parties, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, staged a demonstration in front of the Avinashi Taluk office condemning the Tahsildar’s actions.
The protestors also submitted a petition to the Collector demanding that action be taken. The Revenue Department has sought an explanation from Tamilselvan within 15 days, according to a report in The Hindu.
In 2019, a youth, Mohamed Faizan, of Poravachery village in Nagapattinam, was allegedly beaten by a right-wing group for his posts on social media which showed him consuming beef.
Later that same year, S Ezhilan (Ram Kumar), founder president of Tamil Nadu Republic party, was arrested for inviting people for his beef festival on social media. He was arrested based on the complaint from the Village Administrative Officer of his village in Thanjavur. Ezhilan was booked under Section 298, 504 and 505 (2) of IPC.
Special Tahsildar Raghavi will now take charge as the new Tahsildar of Avinashi. The Revenue Department also ordered a reshuffle of nine Tahsildars in the Tirupur region. The Tahsildar of Kangeyam Sailaja has been transferred as the Tahsildar of Dharapuram, Jagathesh Kumar has been posted as Tahsildar of Uthukuli and Kanimozhi has been appointed as Special Tahsildar of Kangeyam.