Footwear hurled at Pon Radhakrishnan ahead of last rites

The Minister had been with the student’s father and family at Delhi for the post-mortem and accompanied Muthukrishnan’s relatives while bringing the body from Delhi to Salem. Unmindful of the mood against the BJP at the house of the deceased student, the minister went to console the family around 10.45 am on Thursday. 

While Pon Radhakrishnan was leaving the house, media persons tried to get his comments. Solomon (31) from Tiruvallur district shouting slogans against the BJP, RSS and ABVP tried to get near the Minister. When police prevented the youth, he hurled one of his footwear at Radhakrishnan. The Minister narrowly escaped the attack and asked the BJP cadre and police not to register any case against the youth. He even instructed the BJP cadre to buy a slipper for the youth. However, police detained the youth for questioning. Police said that Solomon was the state organiser of Indhiya Makkal Munnai. 

While the minister refused to give his views about the attack on political lines, BJP’s Salem city president RP Gopinath told DTNext that three complaints have been lodged with the police against the attacker.