Chennai: Tension prevailed in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu after a statue of Dravidar Kazhagam founder and social reformer Periyar was vandalised by unidentified miscreants in the early hours of Friday.
The disfiguring of the statue at Kaliyapettai village, Salavakkam comes amid a row over actor Rajinikanth's remarks about a procession in which the Dravidian stalwart participated nearly 50- year-ago.
People found the face and right hand of the Periyar Statue damaged on Friday morning and alerted the police who rushed to the spot and covered the bust with a tarpaulin sheet. Senior police officers visited the spot and conducted a preliminary enquiry. Following the incident, police security was beefed up in the locality and Salavakkam police launched an investigation into the incident.
Locals suspect the alleged involvement of Rajinikanth fans as Periyarist organisations are organising protests against Rajnikanth.
