A fleet of new Mercedes–Benz S400 hybrid cars parked at a performing arts centre in Colombo to be used by heads of government attending the 53-member Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka (AFP)
Tension prevailed at Tirumuruganpoondi in nearby Tirupur district, where a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was found vandalised in the early hours today, drawing the ire of Congress workers.
Protesting against the incident, about 60 Congress workers came out on to the streets and staged a demonstration, condemning it. All of them were arrested, police said.
A letter purportedly written by a pro-Tamil outfit, was said to be recovered from the spot, which asked the UPA government not to participate in the CHOGM scheduled in Sri Lanka later this month, sources said.