Chennai, Jan 18 (IANS): Two Hindu Munnani workers who were arrested and lodged in prison since January 11 for defacing the statue of social reformer and founder of the Dravidian movement, Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy or Thanthai Periyar were charged under Goondas Act. The detention orders were served on the duo on Tuesday.

The duo, Arun Karthik (26) and V. Mohanraj (28) of Vellalore were arrested on January 11 after the face of a statute of Periyar at Vellalore in Coimbatore was found smeared with saffron powder and garlanded with slippers.

The incident took place on January 9 and there were widespread protests across the state with the Dravidar Kazhakam (DK) and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) leading the charge.

There were demands from across the state to give befitting punishment to the perpetrators of the crime and the police arrested the duo on January 11 and were remanded in judicial custody at the Coimbatore central prison.

It may be noted that there were similar incidents of vandalizing the statues of Periyar across Tamil Nadu with the Hindu Munnani workers in most cases getting arrested for the act.