Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has claimed that the Dalit youths have been abducting Muslim women in Erode.
In a televised interview, the startling and hilarious claim was made by none other than PMK founder S Ramadoss.
He alleged all this was happening due to instigation by the local Dalit political party, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
In a report by The Hindu, he is quoted as saying that:
In Erode district, 200 Muslim women have been kidnapped. The Imam had expressed this to me… Every community – Brahmins, Reddys, Vanniars – has been affected. Dalits are being educated and instigated by this Dalit party.
The startling claim drew flak from several sections but the name of Abdul Hakeem of the Darussalam Islamic Centre has cropped up and it is said that PMK is toeing his line that the Dalit youths have been trying to entice the Muslim women.
In another report by The Hindu, PMK President G.K. Mani said that the party or anyone from the party had no enmity towards the Dalits but that he condemns anyone playing with the lives of the women.
Mani also claimed that representatives of Muslims had said that this at a district-level meet of PMK formed Forum for Safeguarding All Communities in Erode. Here the Muslims allegedly accused the Dalits of going after Muslim women.
The Hindu quoted him as saying of the meeting:
At the meeting, they said that in Erode, Dalit youths enticed 150 to 200 Muslim women. In Gobichettiypalayam, 42 women were enticed. The girls’ relatives had offered to marry them to the youths if the latter converted to Islam. But the Dalits refused and married the girls on their own. Later, the men harassed the women asking them to get money from their families. They appealed to Doctor Ayya to put a full stop to this.
PMK has much to answer
In short, if the Dalit boys had agreed to convert to Islam then marriage could have happened with the blessings of the Muslim families, but since they went ahead and married on their own, this is what led to the friction.
Mani also failed to provide evidence that Dalit boys used their relationship for the property or money. He also did not clarify how marrying on own is equal to abduction as claimed by PMK’s founder.
How does he know and who told him that the Brahmins, Reddys, and Vanniars are also getting affected by alleged incitements? Any numbers and figures he can come up with?
The Dalit party in question has denied the charges and its Muslim deputy general secretary, Aloor Sha Nawas felt that this was an attempt to harm Muslims and Dalits.
Don’t forget to read: Azamgarh riot: Dalits attacked, BJP raps government
Image: For representation only
