india

Updated: Nov 04, 2019 23:25 IST

A statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar was desecrated by unidentified people on Sunday night near Thanjavur town in Tamil Nadu even as the controversy over the BJP posting a picture of the Sangam-era poet in saffron robes could die down.

A police official said locals alerted the police in the morning after they found cow dung on the statue and its face blackened with paint. A special team under Vallam’s deputy superintendent of police has been formed to investigate the matter, the official added.

“Police have secured CCTV footage and registered a case under four sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code). We are confident of nabbing the accused shortly,” inspector general of police (Central Zone), Varadharaju, said while speaking to the media.

The defacement has added further fuel to the ‘Thiruvalluvar in saffron’ controversy and there have been sporadic protests across Thanjavur district.

The poet enjoys an iconic status among Tamils across the globe and “Thirukural”, a book containing 1330 couplets, is one of the most translated works in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released its Thai translation in Bangkok on Saturday.

While political parties across the spectrum have condemned the desecration, the DMK’s president MK Stalin smelt a rat, saying there could be a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) link behind the act.

“It seems there could be a link between this and the BJP state unit’s attempt to saffronise Thiruvalluvar in saffron attire,” Stalin said while speaking to reporters.

He had said in a tweet earlier that the AIADMK government should be ashamed for the continuing defacement of those who had “toiled for Tamil”.

“Affront to the statue of Periyar (rationalist Dravidian stalwart), painting Thiruvalluvar in saffron and defacing his statue in Pillayarpatti. Insulting those who toiled for Tamil is becoming a routine affair. The AIADMK government holding the reins of the state police should hang its head in shame for this,” he tweeted.

Tamil Nadu’s director general of police, JK Tripathi, had warned of stringent action against those indulging in the desecration of statues of leaders.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu minister for Tamil development, ‘Mafoi’ K Pandiarajan came to the defence of the BJP over the saffronisation of Thiruvalluvar controversy, saying the poet is common to all and there is nothing wrong in someone’s desire to show him in various colours.

“…Thirukural is called as a cannon for the whole world and he is no rationalist or an atheist. He could be a Jain or a Buddhist. Well, he could be a Saivite or Vaishnavite too. Even a Christian could have his portrait with a cross,” he told the media.

The minister’s remark comes at a time when the DMK, Congress, Left parties, VCK, AMMK and other political parties are slamming the BJP for showing Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes.

Despite repeated attempts by HT, spokespersons of the BJP’s state unit could not be reached for comments.