Chennai, Jan 2 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Police on Monday launched a probe into the desecration of a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Neduvarambakkam village near Chennai.

The statue was found damaged early Monday morning and the local people intimated the police.

Sholayar police immediately reached the scene and commenced a probe.

Tension prevailed in the village and its surrounding areas as a large number of people, including Dalit activists, have reached the spot tp protest against the incident.

Dalit political outfit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) said the party will stage strong protest marches against the desecration of the statue.

VCK leader R. Sukumaran told IANS: "There has been a concerted effort to hurt the pride of the Dalit community and the destruction of the statue is a clear indicator on where things are reaching. Dr. Ambedkar had clear-cut ideas on how to uplift the Dalit community and the destruction of his statue is a message. We cannot sit and watch this and instead would undertake strong protests."

In a case of caste-based violence recently in Vengayil village of Pudukottai district, the district collector and district superintendent of police had to forcibly make Dalits enter a local temple after the upper caste people objected to their entry.

The area earned notoriety after an overhead water tank that supplies drinking water to a Dalit colony was found with human excreta.

An investigation on the same led to the villagers complaining of temple entry ban for Dalit people, two tumbler system, and other blatant discriminations.