Amid heightened security arrangements across the city, several people paid their respects to ‘Perasarar’ Perumpidugu’ Mutherayar on the occasion of his 1,341 birth anniversary on Monday.
Collector K.S. Palanisamy led the district administration officials in paying respects to ‘Perumpidugu’ Mutharayar by garlanding the statue at Othakadai Junction in the morning.
Representatives of political parties and various outfits garlanded the statue of Mutherayar with a posse of police personnel guarding the spot and its vicinity regulating crowd and vehicular movements.
The sudden outbreak of violent acts indulged by members of a particular outfit during the birth anniversary celebrations of ‘Perumpidugu’ Mutherayar in 2012 prompted the police to put in place detailed security arrangements this year too as a precautionary measure.
A meeting was organised recently by the district administration with members of various outfits for the smooth conduct of the birth anniversary celebrations of ‘Perumpidugu’ Mutherayar, police sources said.
As part of the security plan drafted for the event, barricades were installed around the statue with a team of police personnel guarding the spot and regulating those coming to garland the statue and vehicular movements.
Buses which were initially diverted without touching Othakadai were subsequently allowed to proceed via Bharathidasan road. Carrying their organisation flags, members of the Tamil Nadu Mutharayar Sangam, Mutharayar Munnetra Sangam and Veera Mutherayar Munnetra Sangam garlanded the statue.
In addition to city police, personnel from the Armed Reserve, Tamil Nadu Special Police, Quick Reaction Teams and Striking Forces were deployed at different spots. Pickets were posted at vantage spots in the city as a precautionary measure to ensure order on the day of the celebrations.
Representatives of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tamil Maanila Congress and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam garlanded the statue.
Police said the celebrations went off peacefully amid heightened security measures to ensure its smooth conduct.
