Members of the CPI (M), CPI, PMK and Puthiya Tamizhagam on Wednesday staged a walkout in the Assembly to protest denial of permission by Speaker D. Jayakumar for raising the issue of police firing at Paramakudi. Later talking to reporters, floor leaders of these parties demanded action against police officers were responsible for the firing, in which six Dalits were killed. Immediately after the House met in the morning, CPI floor leader A. Soundararajan and Puthiya Tamizhagam leader K. Krishnasamy raised the issue. Though the Speaker denied permission, Dr. Krishnasamy continued to speak. The Speaker said that the speech would not go on record. Dr. Krishnasamy then staged a walkout. The others followed him.
Mr. Soundararajan said that a judicial inquiry would be meaningless and would not be objective if police personnel responsible for the firing were not suspended. “Whenever there is a problem, Dalits bear the brunt of it. The riots point to intelligence failure. The police could have handled the problem better.”
Mr. Soundararajan said that the government's argument that Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) leader John Pandian was arrested to prevent untoward incidents did not hold water, because his arrest had served no purpose.
He said Rs.1 lakh relief to the families of the victims was inadequate when victims of attacks by wild animals were getting Rs.3 lakh.
CPI leader M. Arumugham said though the Chief Minister had agreed for a judicial inquiry, no action had been taken against police officers. “The police are foisting cases against the poor Dalits and conducting search operations in houses. This must be stopped forthwith and the cases withdrawn.”
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