The attackers fled from the place before the public could rush to the aid of the septuagenarian
Vishwanatha Gurukal (centre) flanked by his family members and well wishers during a silent protest condemning the poonal removal act at the Vinayakar temple in Mylapore on Tuesday (Photo: DC)
Chennai: The hue and cry over the ‘Thali’ removal function held by the Tamil outfit, ‘Dravidar Kazhagam’ is yet to settle down when a fresh controversy broke in the city on Monday night. This was to do with another ‘sacred thread’ and involved members of DK’s splinter outfit, Dravidar Vidudhalai Kazhagam. In separate incidents in the city in a span of two hours, DVK members attacked and cut the ‘poonal’ (sacred white thread worn across the chest) of two septuagenarian priests in Mylapore and Ashok Nagar.
The attack was allegedly carried out to avenge the burning of photos of Dravidian leader Periyar during the recent protest by various Hindu groups in Chennai, police said. In the incident in Mylapore, 76-year-old Vishwanatha Gurukkal was walking back home along the Madhava Perumal Koil street in Mylapore when he was attacked. “Around 6.45 pm, my father was walking back from the Karaneeswarar temple when 5-6 men in bikes rounded him up,” Mangalanathan Gurukkal, son of the victim, told DC. Mangalanathan, who has featured in a few Tamil movies is also the President of the South Chennai division of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is a member of the Art and Culture Cell of the party.
In another incident in Ice House police limits by the same gang a few minutes later, 65-year-old Ranganathan Iyer was also relieved of his ‘poonal’.
The men caught hold of my father’s forearms and took off his ‘poonal’ and escaped after pushing him to the ground, he added. The attackers fled the place before the public could rush to the aid of the septuagenarian. “Periyar Vaazhga! Periyar Vaazhga!” the men shouted before fleeing the place, Mangalanathan quoted the public as saying. Within a few minutes, members of the BJP thronged outside the Mylapore police station demanding justice and protection for the family. “Since I am in the party, I passed on the message to all members who gathered demanding justice,” Mangalanathan said. Mylapore Police registered a FIR and initiated investigations into the case.
Meanwhile, about an hour later, another septuagenarian, Santhana Gopal (71) who sings bhajans at Sathyanarayana Koil near West Mambalam was walking back home along Srinivasa Pillai street when two miscreants did a similar act. Santhana Gopal, however chose to not file an official complaint, police sources said. In another incident in Ice House police limits by the same gang a few minutes later, 65-year-old Ranganathan Iyer was also relieved of his ‘poonal’. He was not attacked though, police said. Based on a complaint by Ranganathan, Ice House police registered a FIR.
On Monday, six DVK members - Nandakumar, Prabhakaran, Diwakar, Pradeep and Ravanan, all from Royapettah and Arun Kumar of Triplicane - were arrested. Police have registered cases under eight sections of IPC including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) and 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion). All six of them were remanded in judicial custody.
( Source : dc correspondent )
Next Story
