Coimbatore : Desecration of the Ambedkar statue at Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu echoed in Coimbatore on Monday, as rear glasses of two government buses were broken reportedly by workers belonging to Tamil Puligal Party, a fringe outfit. Twenty party cadres were arrested when they attempted to stage picketing in front of the Collectorate.

Several political parties staged demonstrations in the city.

According to police, stones, wrapped in a piece of paper, were hurled from behind at a government bus proceeding to Maruthamalai near Koundenpalayam, breaking the window glass.

The paper in which the stones were wrapped read that the party was condemning the incident and wanted the culprits to be arrested immediately, police said. It also said one could vandalise statues but not the ideology.

Similarly, another stone pelting was reported on a parked bus in the new bus stand on Mettupalayam Road, resulting in the breaking of rear glasses, police said.

Since Tamil Puligal Katchi has claimed responsibility for hurling stones, police are monitoring the movement of its party workers.

Party regional secretary Susi Kalaiarasan demanded that the culprits behind desecration of the statue be booked under NSA and and the Government take steps to instal statues of Ambedkar in all districts.

A section of lawyers formed a human chain near the district court complex protesting against the inaction of police, who remained mute spectators when the statue was vandalised.

Members of various associations representing Scheduled Castes met West Zone IG K Periaiah and submitted a memorandum seeking a CBCID inquiry into the desecration.

They accused vested interests of attempting to disturb peace in the State by engaging in such acts so that there would be caste and community clashes.