Members of Periyarist outfits protesting against NTK leader Seeman in Chennai on Wednesday.

Cadre of the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, May 17 Movement, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and other Periyarist outfits attempted to lay siege to Naam Tamilar Katchi co-ordinator Seeman’s house in Neelankarai over his alleged remarks attributing comments on questionable sexual relationships to Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.

Despite this, Mr. Seeman did not back down, and continued his attacks on Periyar and his supporters.

Addressing the media, Mr. Seeman said the Periyarist outfits did not care about the people’s issues, and were instead mobilising cadre to protest against him.

“The Periyarists who have come to protest against me…did they protest against tungsten mining, methane and ethane extraction, Sterlite, nuclear reactors, death of Srimathi, Pollachi and Anna University sexual assault cases, and Parandur airport? Where did they go when a 13-year-old boy was killed at gunpoint…despite the entire world mourning his death, nobody questioned the leader who went to New Delhi to discuss Cabinet posts. What are they talking about,” he asked.

Mr. Seeman asked why the DMK was reluctant to conduct a caste-based census. “Do they (DMK) have the guts to conduct a caste-wise census? They aren’t doing it because it would reveal the real numbers. They say only the Centre should do it…but why didn’t the DMK carry out the Census when it was a part of the Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral, Vajpayee, and Congress governments? When other States are doing it, why aren’t you (DMK) doing it,” he asked.

When asked why he was not forthcoming with the evidence for Periyar’s speech, Mr. Seeman said, “We didn’t say anything about Periyar. We only repeated what Periyar said. You have filed a case. I will present my evidence at the right time in the courts and prove it.”

Mr. Seeman said it had become a part of politics for the past 60 years to label anyone who opposes as ‘Aryan coolie’ and a friend of ‘RSS and BJP’. “I don’t need Periyar in this journey following the revolutionary Prabhakaran. If you want to keep Periyar, please worship him. He is the enemy of Tamils and their language, which is why we oppose him. Our ideology is to destroy Periyar, who spoke ill of Tamil,” he said.

Earlier, tension prevailed in Neelankarai when the Periyarist outfits tried to lay siege to Mr. Seeman’s house. They burnt an effigy of Mr. Seeman, and were detained when they tried to advance towards his house.