Kattappa is with Periyar: Baahubali actor Sathyaraj slams H Raja for FB post that led to statue vandalization

Actor Sathyaraj has slammed Tamil Nadu BJP leader H Raja's comments over revolutionary social activist EV Ramasamy, who was popularly known as Periyar. He has demanded an apology from the politician for his views and asked the state government to take action against him.

In a video message, Sathyaraj said, "I condemn the demolition of Lenin's statue in Tripura. The Tamil Nadu government should take action against H Raja for stating the Periyar's statues would meet the same fate. Periyar is not a statue, not a name, not a body made of flesh and blood. He is an ideology, created for the poor, for the women's freedom and for abolishing superstitious belief,"

"He does not just live like a statue, he lives in our hearts. I want to tell you that neither the power nor an army can remove Periyar from our hearts. Tell me the time and date, the followers of Periyar are willing to accept your challenge. H Raja must apologize, the Tamil Nadu government must take legal action against him," he ended.

Incidentally, Sathyaraj had enacted the role of Periyar in his biopic in 2007.

The BJP workers brought down the statue of iconic Communist leader Vladimir Lenin on Monday,  March 5, two days after the election results were announced in Tripura.

"Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection India has with Communists? Lenin's statue has been removed in Tripura. Today it is Lenin's statue in Tripura, tomorrow it will be the statue of caste fanatic EVR Ramasamy," he wrote on his Facebook.

Hours after H Raja made such comments, Periyar's statue was demolished in Tamil Nadu and the BJP's Coimbatore office was attacked by some miscreants who hurled petrol bombs and the investigation is on.

In another incident, BJP icon Syama Prasad Mukherjee's statue was blackened by unidentified men in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, H Raja has removed the post and stated that the statement posted on his Facebook page was posted without his approval. The BJP party has distanced itself from H Raja's comments.