Residents who remember freedom fighter and neighbourhood social reformer Su Nellaiyappar’s on his birth and death anniversary every year, had a tough time this year.
The reason is his statue at Chrompet bus stand has been covered by a cloth in view of the model code of conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
As a result, on 28 March, they said they were left with no other option than to jump inside gate of the premises that houses the statue, unwrap the cloth and pay tributes.
Secretary of Bharathipuram Residents Welfare Association, Ramadoss, said, “Nellaiyappar was not a political leader and he did not represent any political party. He was a writer, social reformer and close friend of legendary poet Bharathiyar. He named the area, ‘Bharathipuram’ in the 90s. He did lot of things to the locality. A school has been named after him as Thyagi Nellaiyappar School. With these being the facts, why should his statue be covered?”
It is learnt that petitions were given to the Returning Officer, Municipal Commissioner and Inspector of police to remove the cloth around Nellaiyappar’s statue, but in vain.