Dravidian social activist Periyar's statue was vandalised in Kaliyapattai village in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu on Friday. The incident comes after the actor-turned-politician Rajnikanth's controversial remarks on Periyar. On the 50th anniversary event of the Tamil magazine 'Thuglak' on January 14, Rajnikanth said, "In 1971, at Salem, Periyar took out a rally in which the undressed images of Lord Sriramachandramoorthy and Sita." AIADMK's leader Panneerselvam said that anyone expressing any views on Periyar should do so by doing thorough research. However, the widespread protests could not force the Tamil superstar to turn back on his statement.

Source: dna January 24, 2020 10:30 UTC