Armed police for Thevar statue adorned with gold ‘kavasam’

A day after the statue of freedom fighter U. Muthuramalinga Thevar was adorned with gold ‘kavasam’ (ornamental plates), the memorial of the late leader at his native Pasumpon village has become a high security zone with armed police taking guard at the site, as hundreds of people are making a beeline for the memorial to have a glimpse of the statue after All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa presented the gold plates on behalf of her party on Sunday.

“As people kept thronging the memorial, we do not want to take any chance and posted round-the-clock security at the memorial,” Superintendent of Police N.M. Mylvahanan said.

He said that five armed police personnel from the Armed Reserve police and five others from the local police had been posted.

At any given time, there would be one armed police at the memorial, besides the local police, the SP said.

To be kept in locker

The arrangement would continue for the next one week till the gold plates were shifted to a bank locker, he said.

S. Thangavel, one of Thevar’s family heirs, said the statue would be with the golden armour for about 10 days as more and more people were visiting the memorial to have a glimpse of the statue in golden cover. The ‘kavasam’ would be shifted to a bank locker later, he added.