Two castieist parties of VCK and PMK, dominant in Western Tamil Nadu in a tussle over social media post that hints at Veerappan’s daughter joining the dalit party. It is a ploy to create caste conflict opine leaders of the two parties, denying any role in creation of social media post.

Slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan has come alive in a political arena ahead of assembly polls with two casteist parties – PMK of Vanniyars and VCK of dalits – whipping up a controversy surrounding his daughter V Vijayalakshmi.

Her pictures holding a flag of Viduthalai Chirutaigal Katchi (VCK) in one hand along with a message that she has joined VCK in the presence of its chief Thol Thirumavalanan have surfaced on social media causing considerable consternation among the PMK supporters who feel slighted by her decision. If even after a decade of Veerappan’s slaying anything concerning him becomes a talking point and news that influences the lives of people in a way.

Which is why, PMK leaders saw a devious ploy by someone to create confusion among the minds of the people with the social media posts that seemed calculated to cause tension between the two communities. Caste wars have erupted over matters like these and even on personal matters like marriage of two adults belonging to these two different castes.

Hence, the PMK as well as the VCK are treading the matter cautiously.

Firstly, VCK sources say, the social media post does not convey details as to when the picture was taken and where. They vehemently deny suggestions from PMK that it was involved in spreading the message as it would try and cash in on it politically.

Veerappan’s wife, V Muthu Lakshmi, was sure that it was a false message. “The photograph taken a few years ago has nothing to do with the present,” she said and promised to set things right once she was discharged from the hospital, where she is undergoing treatment at present.

Senior VCK leaders too dismissed it as “fake news”. The party men should make it very clear that nothing of this sort as suggested by the social media post has happened.

For the first time, as it seems so far, the two parties – PMK and VCK – appear going to fight the elections on their own, without aligning with any of the two Dravidian parties, the AIADMK or the DMK.

What the leaders of these two regional political formations have done is to express a doubt if there was some third party involved in creating a chaos with an aim to benefit from it all.