Bill to book statue vandals under Goondas Act introduced

Chennai, May 13 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Law and PWD Minister Duraimurugan today introduced a Bill in the State Assembly for detention of those who desecrate and defile statues of political leaders and deities, under the goondas act.

The introduction of the Bill comes a day after Chief Minister M Karunanidhi made an announcement in the Assembly yesterday warning those fomenting communal violence by desecrating statues of leaders would be detained under the Goondas Act.

According to the Statement and Objects of the Bill, it has been brought to the government's notice the statues of deities and leaders were damaged, disfigured or defiled and certain persons were committing mischief in respect of property covered under the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss Act), 1992, (Tamil Nadu Act 59 of 1992).

''Consequent on this, certain persons are provoking others to cause riot or promoting enmity between two groups on the ground of religion, race and caste, every now and then and thereby adversely affecting the public order,'' it said.

''In order to ensure the public order is not adversely affected by the activities of such persons, it has been considered necessary to detain them under the Goondas Act. Hence the government decided to bring in amendments to the Tamil nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug offenders, Forest offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic offenders, Sand offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982,'' it added.

UNI GV-SNR SR VC1944