Aman identified as Chellakili surrendered before the Tamil Nadu police claiming that he vandalised a statue of social reformer Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar. Chellakili told the police that he vandalised the statue at the Ponneri bus stand in Tiruvallur district using an iron rod.

The police rushed to the spot and covered the statue with a cloth. Periyar is considered as the father of Dravidian politics and an inspiration for the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.

The face of the statue was damaged and the spectacles on the statue were broken.

Meanwhile, members of the Dravidar Kazhagam gathered at the spot where the statue was damaged and demanded action against the accused. The police began the probe. It was not yet clear why Chellakili targeted the statue of Periyar.

The police said they were examining the footage captured by CCTV cameras installed opposite the bus stand where the Periyar statue was damaged.