Later, dominant caste people attacked the settlement with rocket fireworks and indulged in arsoning and assault.
[4] The top Government officials, the revenue divisional officer and the deputy superintendent of police in Viluppuram are all Dalits.
[6][7] The Vegetable Merchants Association lodged a complaint with the Deputy superintendent of police the same night and intended to hold a hartal the next day in protest of the assault.
The next morning, the dominant caste man who was attacked filed a complaint, identifying seven Dalit people as assaulters.
The next day the demonstration was held with under the leadership of president of the Vegetable Merchants Association and others including a number All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) office bearers of the town.
[3] During the demonstration, anti-Dalit statements were chanted, such as "Displace Dalits from the City Center" and "Paraiyans' wives are our concubines."
[10][9] The Villupuram police force was severely depleted after a significant portion of it was deployed to oversee the Madurai Municipal elections.
[2] During the violence, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran was 200 km away in Madurai, canvassing for the Municipal elections.
[5] Indian National Congress leader Jagjivan Ram, M. Karunanidhi, and Chief Minister M.G.Ramachandran visited the afflicted area.