Thevar statue in Madurai attracts huge crowd

Madurai, Apr 23 (UNI) The statue of veteran freedom fighter and icon of the Mukkulathor community, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar here, which was desecrated here recently, has become the centre of attraction with a large number of people visiting the statue to pay their homage.

The life-size statue at Goripalayam in the city was defaced with cow dung and human excreta on April 21, triggering sporadic violence in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

A day after the incident, the city police claimed to have arrested a mentally-deranged person in connection with this.

Actor-turned-politician and All India Forward Bloc State Secretary M Karthik, All India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam founder-President N Sethuraman and Mr B T Kumar of Dravida Vizhipunarchi Kazhagam were among the political leaders who visited the statue and paid their homage.

Mr Karthik called for a bandh in the southern districts tomorrow to condemn the incident and performed a cleansing ritual with milk on the statue.

A large number of people from various parts of the Southern districts were visiting the statue daily to offer their homage. They also lit camphor and lamps before the statue.

In a bizarre incident, an ardent devotee of Thevar inflicted injuries on his body with a blade before the statue in protest against the desecration.

Round-the-clock police protection was given to the statue here and also across Southern districts.

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