Minister Aadhav Arjuna alleged that socio-economic conditions of dalits saw little improvement in five decades
Chennai : A fierce debate over dalit welfare rocked the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday, with PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna alleging that the socio-economic conditions of dalits saw little improvement in five decades, drawing sharp rebuttals from DMK and AIADMK members.
The exchange between the treasury and Opposition benches prolonged the day’s proceedings till around 7.20pm.
Vanni Arasu had alleged that the Dravidian parties had failed to uphold social justice in its true spirit and had treated welfare measures for marginalised communities as mere “offerings”. Now that he has become a minister in TVK govt, he is adopting a different tone,” Panneerselvam said. Joining the debate, Aadhav Arjuna said dalits continued to live in slums and that their socio-economic status had not improved despite measures taken by successive govts. He said govt would formulate an exclusive legislation against honour killings based on the commission’s recommendations.
DMK and AIADMK members found common ground in hitting back at the minister, citing a string of welfare schemes and social reforms implemented by successive govts for the welfare of dalits. The first round of confrontation erupted when former ministers Govi Chezhian, M R K Panneerselvam and K P Anbazhagan took on social justice minister Vanni Arasu over his remarks criticising the Dravidian parties’ record on social justice. Crime against dalits was on the rise in the previous govt, he alleged. Former AIADMK minister Anbazhagan and former DMK minister C V Ganesan countered him citing Union govt reports. Aadhav Arjuna and his cabinet colleague Nirmal Kumar hit back, accusing the previous govt of mishandling the Vengaivayal case and attempting to cover it up for political reasons. Nehru rejected the charge, saying the previous govt and its chief minister had handled the case appropriately, and detailed the sequence of events. The debate finally ended after social justice minister Vanni Arasu informed the House that the Basha Commission had sought nine months to submit its report.