Hindi signage defaced at Coimbatore railway station

COIMBATORE: A newly installed Hindi signboard at Coimbatore North Railway Station was removed by authorities after unidentified persons splashed it with black paint on Saturday night.

Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam called off its protest over the prominence of Hindi signage after the Railways' decision to remove it.

The station’s facade, renovated under the Amrit Bharat scheme, had the station name displayed separately in Tamil, Hindi, and English. However, the Hindi lettering was positioned prominently in the centre, making it the most visible.

Its image was circulated on social media, with demands that the station name be displayed in Tamil, English and Hindi at the same location and that Tamil be retained in prominence. “Meanwhile, around midnight, an unidentified person came with black paint and poured it over the Hindi lettering on the newly installed signboard, before fleeing the scene,” police said.

On receiving information, the railway police rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. Following the incident, the railways also removed the Hindi signboard from the station building. Therefore, a protest announced by Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) on Sunday evening over the issue was called off.