Kalmunai Mayor Nizam Kariyappar said that the recent demolition of a plaque by a TNA member was an attempt to whip up Muslim-Tamil disharmony in the Kalmunai area for petty political gains.

 

Speaking to Asian Mirror, Kariyappar said that the road in question was to be named after an eminent leader of Kalmunai, Gate Mudliyar MS Kariyappar. The first parliamentarian from Kalmunai, Kariyappar was elected to parliament from the UNP, the ITAK and even independently, the mayor said.

 

Former Opposition Leader of Kalmunai Municipal Council Henry Mahendran called him on Sunday and opposed the naming of the road, Nizam Kariyappar revealed. He said that he agreed to discuss the matter. However, a short while later, this person had demolished the plaque, Kariyappar revealed.

 

Kariyappar added that these types of negative acts are carried out by persons of every community who believe in violence and are never open to discussions. There are certain people like that even in the Muslim community, he pointed out. The real challenge faced by moderate politicians of every community is to find a way to accommodate such individuals, he added.

 

Kariyappar said that they have lodged a complaint at the Kalmunai Police regarding this incident. However, there was a question of assessing the amount of the damage, he pointed out. The Mayor also said that perhaps being arrested was the real motive of Mahendran. By doing so, he would have portrayed himself as a hero among a certain group of people, Kariyappar said.