Tamil Nadu: Hindu Makkal Katchi chief drapes Thiruvalluvar's statue with saffron shawl, triggers controversy

Amid the controversy surrounding Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, members of Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) on Wednesday draped a saffron shawl on his statue here.

Arjun Sampath, HMK president, not only draped a shawl on his statue but also tied a 'Rudraksha' string around its neck. He also spread 'vibudhi' (white ash) on its forehead.

Earlier today, members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) literary wing staged a protest against the desecration of Thiruvalluvar's statue on November 4.

The statue was vandalized by unidentified miscreants, who spread cow dung all over it. The area police have ordered an investigation into the incident.

Earlier, a controversy broke out between political parties when the BJP's state unit posted a tweet containing the picture of Thiruvalluvar wearing saffron cloth while holding a 'rudraksha' string in his hand and white holy ash spread on his forehead.

The opposition parties have condemned the tweet, calling it an attempt to allegedly 'saffronise' Thiruvalluvar.