A Madras High Court advocate and alleged member of the BJP in Tamil Nadu was arrested on Monday, for an act of vandalism, which involved hurling a shoe at the Periyar statue on Mount Road in Chennai. Monday happens to be Dravidian ideologue EV Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar’s 140th birth anniversary.
The accused, who has been identified as Jagadeesan (32), hurled a shoe at the statue which was being garlanded on the occasion of Periyar’s anniversary celebrations.
“The incident occurred at 9:45 am at the Periyar statue opposite Simpson’s on Mount Road. The accused was on his way to court when he witnessed the garlanding of the statue and the celebrations. He stopped and stepped down from his two-wheeler, moved close to the statue and hurled a shoe after announcing that he was against the leader’s ideologies,” said Murugesan, Inspector, Chintadripet F1 police station.
The incident was condemned by DMK President MK Stalin who said, “At a time when Tamil Nadu is showing gratitude to the man has shed light on self respect, the ideologies of social justice are being shattered, the feeling of unity is being undermined – religious fanatics are disrespecting the statue of Periyar. We condemn this.”
Jagadeesan was arrested immediately following the incident and a case has been registered in the Chintadripet F1 police. He has been booked under stations under sections 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 294 b (singing reciting or uttering any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 506 (1) (Punishment for criminal intimidation).
Source: The News Minute