Chennai: Making a veiled attack on PMK for making the ruling AIADMK to enact a Bill providing 10.5 reservation for Vanniyars within the existing reservation for MBs with an eye on the April six Assembly elections, the Vanniyakula Kshatriya Maha Sangam (VKMS) has urged the Vanniyars to be more vigilant and defeat all the parties that face the polls along with the BJP.
Talking to reporters here, VKMS president U Balaraman alleged that the BJP was causing hindrance in providing quota for the Vannniyars.
“Hence, whichever party is part of the AIADMK-BJP alliance (PMK is part of the alliance), should be defeated in the elections,” he added.
Stating that the VKMS was started way back in 1888 and that he had been serving as its President for the last 40 years, Balaraman said during the freedom movement and after the country gained Independence and during political changes, the Vanniyars by following the principle of Unity in diveristy has been striving for the country’s development.
He said a number of Vanniyar philanthropists have donated their wealth for the welfare of Vanniyars, be it in education and healthcare, and freedom fighters like Anjalai Ammal despite being in jail was elected as MLA twice and supported late leader K Kamaraj in providing clean and honest governance.
But things have changed now as some organisations and parties, are claiming that they have dedicated themselves for the cause of Vanniyars, to pursue their own interests.
In an apparent attack on PMK, Balaraman said it was regrettable that some parties for the sake of just 23 seats and for seeking a Union Cabinet berth for his son, have surrendered the rights of the Vanniyars with an eye on the elections.
It may be noted that PMK had been allotted 23 seats by the ruling AIADMK for the ensuing elections.
“If these parties have real interest in social justice, they should have fought for holding caste wise census soon after the government headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami survived after the bypolls held in the back drop of 18 AIADMK MLAs being disqualified for supporting the rebel faction in 2017,” Balaraman said.
Instead, they are cheating the Vanniyars they are enacting a drama with an eye on the elections by claiming that they have secured 10.5 per cent quota for Vanniyars, he charged.
He said their efforts in securing the quota could be lauded if they had secured at least 13 per cent quota based on the Ambashankar Commission report which has estimated the Vanniyar population as 16 lakh.
The Vanniyars should realise the real intention of these leaders and defeat them in the ensuing elections, Balaraman said.