Tamil Nadu: C N Annadurai's statue draped with saffron shawl

Draping a statue of DMK founder C N Annadurai with a saffron cloth in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu created a political storm on Thursday with both the ruling DMK and AIADMK condemning the incident and appealing to people not to “dishonour” leaders through such acts.

Thursday’s incident came exactly a week after a saffron shawl was draped on the statue of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran in Puducherry. Annadurai, the founder of DMK and one of the Dravidian legends, was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1967 to 1969.

Police said Annadurai’s statue situated in Kuzhithurai in Kanyakumari district was found tied with a saffron cloth on Thursday morning. The cloth was immediately removed but the incident led to a major uproar in the state with a special team being formed to nab the culprits.

However, the district police said on Thursday evening that a mentally challenged person was responsible for the incident and that there was no “ulterior motive” in his act.

DMK president M K Stalin took a dig at the right wing saying their thoughts have gone down the drain. “Since they do not have anything to show as their own, they are showing their resentment against leaders. Arrest the culprits,” he wrote on his Twitter page.

Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam also condemned the incident saying the government would take strict action against anyone who dishonours statues of great leaders who had worked for the society.

The incident also comes close on the heels of an attack against the statue of Periyar in Coimbatore. The accused has been booked under the stringent National Security Act.