THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The plaque on the statue of former Chief Minister and KPCC president R. Shankar at Palayam was found shattered on his 53rd death anniversary, sparking strong protests from Congress leaders. The broken granite slab displayed information about R. Shankar in Malayalam.

Congress workers alleged that Corporation employees were behind the damage and staged a sit-in in front of the statue. The incident came to light when former Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and other leaders arrived in the morning to offer floral tributes. A three-foot section of the plaque on one side of the pedestal was found smashed into pieces.

Corporation officials, however, suggested that the plaque may have loosened and fallen while the area was being cleaned. Installation work for an LED wall

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