Rajiv Gandhi statue damaged in Chennai

Miscreants damaged a statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in Chennai yesterday while in a separate incident the office of the Janata Party was attacked in Madurai, official sources said.

The statue of Rajiv Gandhi, in the northern suburbs of the city, was damaged by unidentified people, police said. A Janata Party spokesperson attributed the attack on their office to "anti-Indian elements opposed by our leader Dr Subramanian Swamy". "We have filed a complaint with the police," he told IANS.

Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by a female suicide bomber Dhanu in 1991, and Janata party leader Subramanian Swamy are considered symbols against the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - who are currently facing losses against the Sri Lankan Army. Secessionist elements in Tamil Nadu are apparently targeting them to kindle sedition.

Meanwhile, over 500 workers of the MDMK were arrested for protesting against Thursday's arrest of their leaders Vaiko and M. Kannappan for allegedly fomenting secessionist violence.

The duo have been remanded to judicial custody and housed in the high security Puzhal prison here.

Congress workers blocked traffic in the northern suburbs here in protest against the damage to the statue of Rajiv Gandhi. Workers of a pro-LTTE group yesterday ransacked the office of Janata Party here protesting against 'anti-LTTE' stand of party president Subramanian Swamy.