The Scheduled Caste wing of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has planned to conduct protests across the state against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu on February 27 and 28. In a statement, MP Ranjan Kumar, chairman of the SC wing, said that they would conduct black-balloon protests during the Prime Minister’s visit against unemployment, caste crimes, and the Union government's attitude towards Tamil Nadu.
According to Ranjan, a black balloon protest with the slogan ‘Go Back Modi’ will be held at Palladam in Tirupur on February 27, where the PM will be addressing a BJP meeting. Similar protests will also be held in Thoothukudi and Madurai on February 28.
“Unemployment has peaked to an extent not witnessed in the last 45 years. In 2022, under Modi’s leadership, 4 crore people were unemployed. The cost of living has increased like never before. Workers have been struggling for ten years without proper wages. SC people, in particular, have been badly affected.” a press release from TNCC said. The TNCC further alleged that an increase in wage amounts have not even gone up by 1% in rural areas.
The statement read, “The Modi government has demonstrated extreme divisiveness. A governance of discrimination, hatred and divisiveness against women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and minority communities has destroyed the society. Because of this, India has internationally lost the huge prestige it had. Crimes against Dalits and Adivasis have increased by 48% in 2022.”
TNCC also added that crimes against Dalit women have risen in the ten years the BJP has been in power. “The Unnao caste crime and the Hathras case made the country hang its head in shame,” they further said, adding that while crime rates against Adivasi and Dalit people have been on the rise, conviction rates have reduced and that such caste crimes are particularly rampant in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Regarding the Union government’s response to disaster mitigation and sharing of funds with the state, TNCC’s SC wing also criticised their attitude towards Tamil Nadu.