Periyar statue vandalised in Tamil Nadu

A statue of the Dravidian movement's ideologue, E.V. Ramasamy Naicker 'Periyar', was Thursday vandalised in Srirangam temple town, prompting the Tamil Nadu government to beef up security at major Hindu temples.

The statue, in front of the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, a temple town on the banks of the Cauvery river, about 450 km south of here and near Tiruchirapally, was brought down allegedly by members of the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK). The head of the figurine had reportedly been cut off.

This sparked angry protests by Dravida Kazhagam (DK) and DK workers who threw stones at buses in Tiruchirapally and Srirangam in protest.

The statue, placed by the Thanthai Periyar Statue Installation Committee (TPSIC), was to be unveiled Dec 9, though several Hindu outfits have gone to court protesting its installation in front of the famous temple.

Following the vandalism, Dravidian parties like the DMK and the MDMK have threatened to storm the Srirangam temple.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi told the assembly that his government would not allow opposition to the Periyar statue and warned "stern action against the vandals".

Police said several HMK leaders including Manickam, youth wing leader Rajasekaran, Senthilkumar and Sujith were arrested for defiling the statue, while four policemen of the area were suspended for neglecting their duty.

Several battalions of armed police were posted in Tiruchirapally and Srirangam in the afternoon to avoid any untoward incident.

Security arrangements were fortified at major temples in the state like the Kapaleeswar temple in Mylapore, the Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane in Chennai and the Meenakshi temple in Madurai. (IANS)

Viewer's Comment

Comments Not Available

More Stories