Desecration of MK’s statue in Salem: Left party raises concern over pattern of attacks

CHENNAI: DMK allies Left parties and MDMK on Tuesday strongly condemned the desecration of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's statue in Salem by unidentified miscreants who splashed it with black paint.

In a statement issued on Monday, CPM state secretary P. Shanmugham stated that a bronze statue installed a few months ago in front of Anna Nagar Park in Salem had been defaced. It was a deliberate act of insult by anti-social elements, he said, describing it as part of a growing pattern of targeted attacks on statues of iconic social and political figures.

He drew parallels with past incidents where saffron shawls were draped on MG Ramachandran's statue, and paint was smeared on statues of Periyar, Ambedkar and Tiruvalluvar. "Those behind such attacks in the past have often been linked to Sangh Parivar outfits," he alleged. "Instead of engaging with differing viewpoints, there is a trend of attacking individuals and desecrating statues," he added.

CPI state secretary R Mutharasan also condemned the act, describing it as "a cowardly and despicable attack" on a leader revered across the State. He accused Sangh-affiliated groups of using such incidents to stir communal tensions and politicise public memory. "This act is not just vandalism but part of a larger conspiracy to provoke unrest and gain political mileage," he said.

Joining the issue, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said, "Smearing black paint on Karunanidhi's statue in Salem's Anna Park is deplorable and deserves the strongest condemnation. When ideological opponents fail to win debates, they resort to insulting revered leaders such as Periyar, Ambedkar, Anna, and MGR. Even Tiruvalluvar's statue has been saffronised."

He called on the government to identify those responsible for such attempts to disturb social harmony and take stern action to uphold the State's political culture.