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Periyar statue desecrated, tension grips Coimbatore
Saffron colour was allegedly thrown on social reformer EV Ramasamy Periyar's statue in Sundarapuram in Coimbatore on Friday.
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Coimbatore
A complaint has been filed by Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) workers in the matter. Periyar supporters, DMK, MDMK and VCKÂ workers gathered at the spot here.
The workers, who cleaned the statue, demanded the arrest of the culprits and warned that they would intensify their agitation if such incidents recurred, police said. The statue was one of the three of the social reformer installed in the city in 1995.
Police sources said the incident occurred at around 05:30 hrs.
Though most of the saffron paint was washed away in rain, police personnel and supporters of Periyar cleaned the remaining portion after which cops wearing PPE equipment were deployed as security.
Similarly, security was also provided to six more Periyar statues in the city and that of Dr B R Ambedkar as a precautionary measure.
As the news spread, amore than 20 cadres of DMK, MDMK, Dravidar Kazhagam and Thanthai Periyar Dravdar Kazhagam (TPDK) gathered in front of the statue and staged a protest demonstration demanding arrest of the culprits.
Security was also tightened across the city to prevent any untoward incident.
CPI district secretary V S Sundaram said defacing the statue of Periyar was not acceptable and urged police to take immediate action and arrest the 'anti-social elements'.
TPDK General Secretary K Ramakrishnan said that protests will intensify if the miscreants were not arrested.
Coimbatore City Police Commissioner Sumit Sharan said police personnel were verifying the CCTV footages from the spot to identify the culprits.
He said those who desecrated the statue would be arrested.
DMK MLA N Karthik also condemned the incident and said that this could be an attempt to destroy peace in Tamil Nadu.
Taking to Twitter, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi condemned this move stating that Periyar is not a mere statue but the path to social justice.
"Even after decades after his demise Periyar is still the one who sets the narrative. He is not a mere statue but the path to self-respect and social justice including those who smear him with colours," Kanimozhi tweeted.
The statue desecration incident comes in the back of the arrest of Sentil Vasan, associated with YouTube Channel 'Karuppar Kootam' and the surrender of Channel presenter Sundara Natarajan for denigrating Hindu deity Lord Muruga.
On a complaint from BJP Legal Wing Head R C Paul Kanakaraj and other Hindu outfits, the Chennai Central Crime Branch registered case under Secs 153, 153(A)(1)(a), 295(P), 505 (1)(b) and 505(2) of IPC.
BJP said Surendra had allegedly uploaded an episode under the title "Aabasa Puranam Series - Kandha Sashti Kavacham - Kathakalatchebam", in which 'derogatory' remarks against the Hindu deity were made.
The video went viral in the social media triggering uproar from BJP and various Hindu organsiations across the State.
BJP Tamil Nadu unit President L Murugan, who led a protest demonstration yesterday demanding the arrest of all those associated with the YouTube channel on charges of insulting the Hindu sentiments and denigrating Lord Muruga, also said they should be booked under the NSA.
He said the aim behind the video, which went viral in the social media, was to create social unrest and law and order problems in the State.
He said apart from imposing a total ban on the channel and other anti-Hindu YouTube channels, sedition charges should also be slapped against those involved in 'Karuppar Kootam'.
(With inputs from ANI, UNI)
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