Vanniyar Quota Row Continues in Tamil Nadu Assembly in Chennai

The debate over the 10.5% internal reservation for Vanniyars continued in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in Chennai on Friday, prompting the government to state that it will conduct a social justice survey once the Union government finishes a caste census alongside the ongoing population census.

Minister for Backward Classes Welfare V Sampath Kumar stated that the government is committed to fair representation and follows the ideology of "everything for everyone."

"The foundation of our party is social justice and ensuring fair representation for all sections. We have insisted that the Union govt conduct a caste census along with the population census. Once the exercise is completed, our govt will conduct a social justice survey," the minister said during the debate.

The discussion followed sharp exchanges between AIADMK and DMK members. Former minister C Ve Shanmugam had alleged on Thursday that a relative of a DMK leader had filed a court petition against the 10.5% reservation for Vanniyars, thereby obstructing internal reservation efforts for the community.

The issue spilled over into Friday's proceedings, with DMK leaders E V Velu and M R K Panneerselvam rejecting the allegation. Panneerselvam accused Shanmugam of placing incorrect information on the floor of the House and challenged him to provide evidence.

Following the pushback, Shanmugam conceded that his remarks were not correct and withdrew his statement, concluding the confrontation on the floor.