Four activists, said to belong to the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, threw burning gunny bags dipped in kerosene into the premises of the Income Tax office on Gandhi Road here on Wednesday morning.
Police said the incident took place around 4.25 a.m. The four men came on two motorcycles and threw five bags into the premises from near the gate and damaged two lights.
The security guard on duty, Balasubramani, immediately doused the fire and informed the police.
Pamphlets flung around the place condemned the Central government for disrespecting the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution that called for the boycott of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Sri Lanka in November. The pamphlets also condemned Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Prasad Kariyawasam’s statement expressing regret over the resolution and demanded that he leave the country.
The pamphlets also contained a demand that the Union government respect the sentiments of the Tamil people and that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid should not participate in the CHOGM.
City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali told The Hindu that security cover had been provided to all Central Government establishments in the city, besides police patrol for the city. The Hasthampatti police have registered a case and the four persons suspected to be involved in the incident were being questioned.
