TNCC chief alleges Narikuravar students forced off bus in Pudukkottai
TNCC president Manickam Tagore alleges 10 Narikuravar students were pushed from a government bus in Pudukkottai, demanding an inquiry and action.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore has alleged that a group of students from the Narikuravar community was forcibly removed from a government bus in Pudukkottai district, resulting in injuries.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Mr. Tagore said the incident occurred on Wednesday and involved ten school and college students from Irangamma Chathiram, a Narikuravar habitat. He claimed that TNCC's Pudukkottai district president, Bennett, visited the area and met the affected students and their families.
The Congress leader alleged that government buses do not regularly halt at the locality, and that the students have faced harassment while attempting to board. He also attributed the discontinuation of a dedicated transport service for the students to poor coordination between government departments.
Mr. Tagore has urged the district administration to arrange additional buses during peak school and college hours, or alternatively restore the dedicated service. He has demanded an impartial inquiry and the application of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those responsible. He also called for quality medical treatment and relief for the injured students.