TIRUPATHUR: A piece of cloth covering the statue of late Chief Minister and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran caught fire when DMK cadres burst crackers during their party chief MK Stalin's birthday celebrations at a village in Tirupathur district on Monday, sources said.
The statue located at Kejalnayakkanpatti village near Kandhili was wrapped in a cloth as soon as the model code of conduct came into being.
When splinters of burning crackers burst by DMK cadres flew away and fell on the statue, the cloth caught fire and began burning, sources stated.
The fire was immediately put out.
“It was an accidental fire. When the DMK men burst crackers, some pieces fell on the statue. Only the cloth covering the statue burned and the statue was intact,” a police officer said.
Policemen from Kandhili station visited the spot and held inquiries.
Meanwhile, a police complaint was lodged by the AIADMK's Kejalnayakkanpatti panchayat unit secretary Gejaraj on the incident.
The police registered a case under section 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) IPC and 4 (mischief causing damage to public property) of Public Properties (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, PPDL Act.