Stephen Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod
Kasargod, Mar 8: Taking swift action, the police on Thursday March 8 arrested the man who allegedly defaced the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Taliparamba in Kannur.
The accused has been identified as Dinesh (42), a resident of Pariyaram, Pallikunnu.
Police said that Dinesh is a BJP worker. Locals said that he had been suffering from mental illness and was under treatment for two months. Police are questioning him.
Dinesh allegedly climbed the pedestal of the statue located in front of the taluk office in Taliparamba and damaged the spectacles and ripped away the garland. People who were around clicked his photos. The police conducted investigations on the basis of CCTV footage near the taluk office and arrested the culprit.
The statue had been unveiled in 2005. Several political parties have expressed concerns regarding the incident. The statues of Lenin in Tripura and Periyar in Tamil Nadu have been destroyed in the recent days. The statue of Dr Ambedkar in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh was damaged three days ago. The defacing of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi now has caused widespread anguish.