Social justice is the buzz word in Vikravandi bypoll

Chennai/Villupuram: As Vikravandi assembly segment is all set for a high voltage contest between the ruling DMK and opposition PMK, social justice has become a buzz word in the upcoming bypoll.Chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Friday made an appeal to the electorate to teach a lesson to BJP alliance, “which betrays social justice”, in the bypoll. Stalin, in a video post on X, said BJP alliance was against social justice. “By defeating the BJP alliance, I request you to teach a lesson to the traitors of social justice,” he said.He said people were aware that DMK govt stands for social justice. “Kalaignar (late DMK president and chief minister M Karunanidhi) formed a separate department for backward classes. He was responsible for earmarking 20% reservation for most backward classes, including vanniyars. The previous DMK govt increased the reservation for scheduled caste people,” Stalin said.He said the party declared country’s first Union law minister Ambedkar’s birthday as ‘equality day’. The party is constructing a memorial for the 21 people who laid their lives in police firing during a protest for reservation for backward classes and a manimandapam for party’s late propaganda spearhead A Govindasamy. “I will personally inaugurate the memorial and manimandapam at Villupuram shortly,” said Stalin. Within minutes of Stalin posting the video, PMK president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss reacted sharply. In a post on X, Anbumani posed 10 questions to expose which party betrayed social justice and termed DMK and its president Stalin ‘traitors’ of social justice.He questioned which party in power failed to conduct a caste-wise population census despite the courts declaring that the state govt has the right to conduct the census. Which party was reluctant to hold the census when its 69% reservation policy in education and employment was in danger, he questioned.He asked which govt rendered injustice to students from backward classes and most backward classes categories in admissions in govt arts and science colleges in the state. He pointed out that if the seats reserved for BC and MBC categories in govt arts and science colleges remain vacant and if there are no candidates from the respective categories, then the vacant seats may be filled with students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribe categories. If the seats reserved for scheduled castes/scheduled tribes/people with disabilities are vacant, those seats must not be filled with other categories.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EID Wishes, Messages and quotes !