Representative image | Photo Credit: Indiatimes

Coimbatore: A day after a statue of Dravidian icon Periyar was vandalised in Vellore district in Tamil Nadu, the Bharatiya Janata Party's office in Coimbatore was attacked by unidentified miscreants on Wednesday. A petrol bomb was hurled at the office and a police investigation into the matter was underway. The incident occurred hours after the police arrested two people – a BJP worker and a CPI worker- for allegedly vandalising the Periyar statue on Tuesday. Yesterday, a row erupted in Tamil Nadu over BJP leader H Raja's remarks indicating that statues of rationalist leader E V Ramasamy "Periyar" could be the next to be pulled down after a Lenin statue was razed in Tripura.

As the comments in a Facebook post against late Ramasamy, founder of the Dravidian movement, drew condemnation from several political parties in the state, Raja deleted it while BJP's state unit distanced itself from the issue, saying it was his personal view.

#WATCH Coimbatore: A petrol bomb was hurled at BJP office earlier today #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/hl3WRO0aB7 — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2018

In his social media message, which was removed later, Raja said: "Who is Lenin? What is the connection between him (Lenin) and India? What connection between Communism and India? Lenin's statue was broken down in Tripura. Today it is Lenin's statue in Tripura and tomorrow it will be the statue of caste fanatic E.V. Ramasamy."

Also read: Lenin statue dismantled by BJP supporters as Left crumbles in Tripura | Watch

He was referring to the pulling down of a statue of communist icon Lenin by some persons using an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, days after the BJP defeated CPI (M) in the closely fought assembly polls. The CPI(M) has held BJP workers responsible for pulling down the statue of Lenin.



Rationalist Ramasamy or Periyar -- as he is respectfully called in Tamil Nadu -- is considered as a tall leader of the Dravidian movement. He founded the self-respect movement in the state.

Coimbatore: A petrol bomb was hurled at BJP office earlier today #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/79x0FrjAZo — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2018

Political parties including DMK, MDMK and the Left lashed out at Raja, a BJP National Secretary, with DMK Working President M K Stalin leading the charge seeking his detention under the 'Goondas Act'. Condemning Raja's post, Stalin said nobody was qualified to "even touch" a statue of 'Periyar'.

MDMK leader Vaiko challenged Raja to try and remove Periyar's statue. Congress spokesperson Khushbu Sundar said even Raja's shadow cannot touch Periyar's statue. She also wondered why the ruling AIADMK is silent about Raja's comments when they are critical of Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.



Responding to a query, state BJP leader Tamizhisai Soundararajan said it can be the views of Raja and not that of the party.

(With agency inputs)