Five Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were arrested on Saturday for allegedly throwing a slipper at Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan's car at Madurai airport. Police said they have been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and that further investigation into the matter was underway.
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The footwear was hurled at the official vehicle of the minister after he was returning from paying homage to Indian Army rifleman D Lakshmanan, a resident of Madurai's T Pudupatti village. Lakshmanan was one of four soldiers who were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday.
Lakshmanan's mortal remains reached Madurai earlier in the day for the last rites.
{{/usCountry}}Lakshmanan's mortal remains reached Madurai earlier in the day for the last rites.
{{/usCountry}}Police told news agency PTI that there was a heated exchange between Rajan and BJP cadres present at the venue for paying tributes to the army personnel after Rajan asked why BJP workers had come to attend a state government-organised event.
The minister, state officials and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai paid tributes to the departed soldier.
The incident took place when Rajan was leaving the Madurai airport. Some suspected BJP workers blocked his vehicle, even as a slipper was thrown and got stuck at its windshield.
In pictures shared by news agency ANI, police can be seen trying to control the situation.