Rajak, who is the deputy leader of the ruling party in the state Assembly, said there was a conspiracy to malign Dalit icons and infringe the rights of Dalits in the country.
"The vandalisation of Periyar's statue in Vellore yesterday and disrespect shown to statues of Ambedkar at various places in recent past point towards this trend," Rajak said in a statement here.
"The Manuvadis (those believing in caste hierarchy) have become an emboldened lot and incidents of atrocities against Dalits are on the rise. But we must not get cowed down but fight to protect our rights till our last breath", he added.
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