Periyar's bust desecrated with saffron paint, slippers in Tiruchy; Kanimozhi condemns act

A bust of Dravida Kazhagam (DK) leader EV Ramaswamy ‘Periyar’ was found desecrated with saffron paint in Samathuvapuram village in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Residents of the village complained to the Ramjee Nagar police station which cleaned the bust immediately and launched an investigation in the matter.

The incident took place in the wee hours of Sunday and there were no CCTV cameras to identify the culprits. Reports also claim that the miscreants garlanded the bust with slippers. Outraged by the incident, cadres from several organizations have staged a protest demanding the arrest of those guilty.

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For the DMK, Periyar is a significant figure who led the anti-caste movement in the state, paving way for the party’s ideological platform. The desecration of Periyar statues is however not new and has been reported in various districts across Tamil Nadu by right-wing elements and fringe groups for over two years.

DMK MP Kanimozhi condemned the desecration and took to Twitter to point out that the leader was disrespected through saffron paint. “On Periyar’s birthday, BJP state president L Murugan said that they have no hesitation in acknowledging the efforts taken by Periyar with respect to social justice. Is this the respect they wanted to show?” she asked.

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BJP chief acknowledges Periyar's contributions

Tamil Nadu BJP President L Murugan had on Thursday hailed the contributions of rationalist E V Ramasamy "Periyar" to social justice and said he has no hesitation in extending its greetings on the occasion of the late leader's 142nd birth anniversary.
"We extend our greetings to everyone. There is no second opinion that Periyar slogged for social justice. We have no hesitation in extending our greetings to him," he told reporters here.

He was responding to a question on his party accusing the DMK of not greeting the people on "Ganesh Chaturthi" and why he has not extended his "greetings" on the anniversary of the late leader, who founded the Dravida Kazhagam, an ideological inspiration for the Dravidian parties, including the ruling AIADMK and the DMK.

READ | Saffron Paint Daubed On Periyar's Statue; Parties Protest

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