The police have launched an investigation to trace those who splashed cow dung slurry on a bust of social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy at Samathuvapuram near Vadasithur in Coimbatore district.
Residents noticed that the structure had been defaced on Wednesday morning and alerted the Negamam police. It was subsequently placed inside an iron cage.
Residents of Vadasithur had paid respects to the bust of the Dravidar Kazhagam founder on September 17 as part of his 145th birth anniversary celebrations.
The police suspect that the incident could have occurred late on Tuesday or in the early hours of Wednesday.
Coimbatore Superintendent of Police V. Badrinarayanan said three special teams were constituted to nab the culprits.
Various organisations, including the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, condemned the incident. M. Nehrudas, of the Tamil Nadu Dravidar Suyamariyathai Kazhagam, said a petition seeking to trace the culprits at the earliest, signed by representatives of various political parties and Dravidian organisations, was submitted to the SP on Wednesday noon.
