A group of BJP members on Tuesday performed a milk abhishekam to a statue of Thiruvalluvar at Pillaiyarpatti in Thanjavur district, which was defaced by unidentified miscreants a day earlier.
The party cadre, led by its State general secretary Karuppu Muruganantham, performed the ritual, even as members of a few other organisations staged protests condemning Monday’s incident.
Mr. Muruganantham claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was making efforts to popularise Tirukkural (penned by Thiruvalluvar) across the globe. Those who did not like this had vandalised the statue with the intention of bringing the BJP into disrepute, he alleged.
Protests condemning the attack on the poet-savant’s statue continued for the second day on Tuesday.
Members of the Valluvar Sangam and cadre of the Naam Tamilar Katchi and the Dravidar Kazhagam staged separate demonstrations at Pillaiyarpatti, demanding the arrest of the culprits. A group of students of the Uma Maheswaranar Karanthai Arts College in Thanjavur town, who were affiliated to the Students’ Federation of India, staged a protest in front of their institution, condemning the incident.
In Tiruchi, a demonstration was held by members of the All India Youth Federation.
Police sources said an investigation was on to establish the identities of the culprits.
A police team will guard the statue round the clock as a precautionary measure.
COMMents
SHARE