The Dharmapuri district police on Sunday arrested BJP State Vice-President K.P. Ramalingam on charges of forcibly entering the Bharat Mata memorial, maintained by the State government, by breaking open the lock recently.
According to police, as part of the 76th Independence Day celebrations organised by the BJP on August 11, the party cadre led by Mr. Ramalingam had gone to the Bharat Mata memorial at Papparapatti. However, the memorial was locked and the guards did not open it. The BJP functionary and cadre refused to leave and entered the memorial by breaking open the lock and garlanded the Bharat Mata statue.
The Papparapatti police registered a case regarding the incident against 50 BJP functionaries, including against Mr. Ramalingam. A special team of police went to Rasipuram in Namakkal district in the evening and arrested Mr. Ramalingam. The police also arrested BJP functionaries Sivalingam, Arumugam, Mouna Guru and Mani.
