DMDK apologises to dalits

CHENNAI: With the elections to the local bodies just a couple of weeks away,  the main opposition party DMDK which snapped its ties with the ruling  AIADMK last week, on Thursday tendered apologies to the people affected in the Paramakudi police firing and the violent incidents that occurred in that area.The apology from the DMDK presidium chairman and Deputy Leader of Opposition  Panruti S Ramachandran followed criticisms that the party went against the interests of the people affected in the police firing.Stating that judicial probes announced by the State governments, on many occasions, had turned out to be a mere ritual and went in favour of the government, Ramachandran said ” the party will accept the demand for a CBI enquiry into Paramakudi police firing, if it satisfies the people affected in the violent incident.”Clarifying his statement made in the State Assembly that there was no need for a judicial enquiry into the Paramakudi incident, Ramachandran said it has been routine for political parties to demand a judicial probe and later on no one would bother about the report of the enquiry commission.  The DMDK leader said he had said that there was no need for a judicial enquiry into the issue as he thought that in the name of a judicial probe, the State government should not neglect the appropriate action to be taken on the issue. Ramachandran said his stand was vindicated now as the people in the affected areas had boycotted the enquiry commission constituted by the State government.