MADURAI: Upset over caustic memes, accusing Vaiko of scaling down his protests against the copper smelting unit in Thoothukudi, after receiving kickbacks, the MDMK founder’s 50-year-old nephew allegedly set himself on fire.
R Saravana Suresh was reportedly unhappy with a propaganda allegedly undertaken by Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi on the social media.
Addressing mediapersons after paying Suresh a visit at the Apollo Hospital in Madurai on Friday, Vaiko appealed to the people to exercise restraint and not hurt people’s sentiments through memes.
According to the police, R Saravana Suresh of State Bank Colony in Virudhunagar is the son of Vaiko’s brother-in-law.
He was upset over memes circulated by NTK cadre, claiming Vaiko had received kickbacks from to scale down his protests.
Moreover, social media were rife with memes suggesting that Vaiko’s protests against Neutrino Project in Theni were undertaken with a similar agenda.
On Friday, Suresh left home after telling his wife that he was going for a walk. However, the police said, he attempted self-immolation near Soolakkarai. He was taken to the Virudhunagar GH, from where he was referred to Madurai hospital. He sustained over 90 per cent burns. Doctors said that Suresh’s condition was critical and was put on life support.
Vaiko visited Suresh at the hospital and later told the media that sustained false propaganda had upset Suresh. Vaiko later appealed not to spread lies and tarnish his image.
Saravana Suresh, a businessman, is a father of two — a college-going son and a daughter.