Periyar statue vandalised in Kancheepuram district

Chengalpattu: A statue of Dravidian icon Periyar was found vandalised in Kaliyapattai village in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu on Friday. Residents were shocked to see the statue's right hand and face damaged.

The damaged parts have been covered with clothes now. The police is investigating the matter and further details are awaited.

The incident comes amid protests across the state condemning actor-politician Rajinikanth's remarks on the social reformer. On the 50th anniversary event of the Tamil magazine 'Thuglak' on January 14, Rajinikanth had reportedly said that at a rally in Salem in 1971 led by late Periyar, idols of Lord Ram and Sita were taken out without any clothes on them and that the deities also featured a garland of sandals. The actor claimed that then, no news outlet had published it.