It was a rotten shock that awaited the staff of the Dravida Kazhagam (DK) run newspaper, Viduthalai on Wednesday. A registered post had arrived at the Chennai office, addressed to the organisation's head, K. Veeramani. Along with it, was a letter saying that it was from the Hindu Munnani wing from Erode. Already suspicious, staff at the office opened the package and out spilled to their horror - a dish of spoiled pork.
Enraged by what they claim is an act of disrespect, the organisation has now filed a complaint in the Vepery station. DK alleged that this 'unacceptable behaviour' by the right wing group, was in retaliation to the organisation's stand against the cow slaughter regulations brought about by the Centre.
Police have now registered a case against Hindu Munnani's Erode District deputy leader KA Sivasakthi, who had sent the parcel. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pravesh Kumar, told The News Minute that Sivasakthi has been accused of creating enmity between groups and that investigation in the matter is underway.
The Hindu Munnani, is however defiant about its actions. "Even Coimbatore and Tirupur districts had sent pork dishes but it did not reach DK," says a member of the group's Coimbatore wing. "This was planned last week itself, so police must have stopped the parcels from reaching them," he adds.
When asked why meat was sent as a form of protest, he says, "They have come out to protests regulations despite knowing that Hindus worship the cow. Would they do the same for pork? They won't because they are actively part of politics that maintains Muslims as a vote bank."
Kali Pungundran, a prominent member of DK however dismisses this allegation. "There is no justification to what they have done," he says. "Today they are sending pork and even the postal department lets it come all the way to our office without checking. Tomorrow, if they get angrier, will they send explosives?" he asks.
DK has, in the days following the new regulations for cow slaughter, openly voiced its criticism against the Centre. The organisation's chief, K Veeramani told The New Minute that, "People of a particular religion are being targeted. There are communal forces at play and the Centre is trying to divide the country on the lines of religion. But leaders who follow the Dravidian ideology will not allow this."