TAMIL NADU, INDIA, December 13, 2006: Stemming from the Periyar statue dispute, on Friday 38 people were arrested and booked for encouraging communal tension by damaging religious symbols or religious places in connection with attacks on temples in Tamil Nadu. The granite Ganesha Deity from a temple at Sankarapuram in Villupuram was found removed and broken. In addition, the Mushika and Peetham (pedestal) were destroyed. Cement decorative works that formed part of the temple compound were broken as well as other decorative carvings on the gopuram were heavily damaged. In Chennai, the Ayodhya Mandapam in West Mambalam was also damaged.
Janata Party president, Subramanian Swamy, condemned the police for registering a first information report (FIR) against Swami Dayananda Saraswati in the case related to damage caused to the statue in Srirangam. In a statement here, Dr. Swamy said by registering an FIR against Swami Dayananda Saraswati merely for issuing a statement against the installation of the statue, the police had violated several Supreme Court judgments, including the one in the Bhajan Lal case in 1992.