Statue War: Kamal Haasan says, 'This issue is just to divert attention from Cauvery issue'

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said that there is no need to deploy police for protection of Periyar Statue. He further said that this is being done to divert attention from the fact that govt has not constituted Water Management Board (Cauvery).

Speaking to media, Haasan said,''There is no need to deploy police for protection of Periyar Statue. We Tamilians will protect it. I feel that this issue is just to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board).''

Earlier in the day, a statue of Sangh ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee was damaged in Kolkata. The incident came after two Lenin statues were toppled in Tripura and a Periyar bust was vandalised in Tamil Nadu.

The vandalism followed BJP national secretary H. Raja's post on Facebook, advocating the removal of Periyar's statues.

Earlier on Tuesday, Haasan called upon political leaders not to waste their energy on the issue. "We could allow the removal of Periyar statues if Raja promised to remove all statues. Worshipping is different from following," he tweeted.

OneIndia News