Chennai, Aug 31 : Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a political party of Dalits, has urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take stringent action against those involved in violence against the community. In a statement, VCK founder leader and MP Thol Thirumavalavan said that the state police were lethargic in taking action against the perpetrators of Dalit violence. He added said that there was an increase in attacks against Dalits in 2021 as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. The VCK chief said the previous AIADMK government was callous in taking action against those who attack Dalits and called upon Stalin to take strong action against those involved in Dalit atrocities. He said that 1,144 cases of atrocities against Dalits in Tamil Nadu were filed in 2019, and in 2020 it rose to 1,274, while in 2021 the number shot up to 1,377. In 2021, 53 Dalits were killed and attempts on the lives of 61 others were made, Thirumavalavan said, adding that while Tamil Nadu ranked fifth in the attack on the community nationally in 2020 as per the NCRB data, it is ranked seventh in 2021. He said that several cases against Dalit atrocities were not investigated during the previous AIADMK regime and called upon Stalin to direct the police not to be lethargic in its probe. Thirumavalavan further alleged that the attitude of the police was the main reason for the attacks on Dalits. /IANS