Tension prevailed in Ramanathapuram on Sunday evening when members of a community installed Muthuramalinga Thevar’s statue near a temple on 80 Feet Road. According to sources, the members of the community reportedly installed the five-foot statue without police permission.
On information, the police rushed to the spot and asked the community leaders to remove the statue – a suggestion which they reportedly rejected outright.
As there was every possibility of the situation going out of control, the police rushed their Armed Reserve personnel and striking force to the spot. The police sources said that the community leaders installed the statue around 6.30 p.m. in a temple in the area. Revenue Department officials also rushed to the spot.
Revenue Divisional Officer and other officials in the presence of police held talks with the members of the community, which lasted for several hours. Former Councillor of Ramanathapuram area R.S. Thirumugam pacified the agitated members of the community. The members decided among themselves that they could represent to the authorities concerned and get the issue resolved later and agreed to remove the statue from the pedestal. The statue was then covered with a cloth and on removal it was kept inside the temple premises around 11 p.m.