Madurai (PTI): Police made a lathicharge to disperse a 1500-strong crowd which blocked the road, indulged in stone-pelting, damaged four buses and set ablaze a police jeep protesting desecration of the portrait of a backward class leader near here today, police said.

While an inspector and four constables were injured in stone-pelting, five were injured in lathicharge,. Police said people belonging to the backward Mutharayar community were angry after they found that some unidentified persons had hung chappals on the portrait of their leader"Perumpidugu Mutharayar" at Eliarpathi near here.

Holding the portrait, they blocked traffic.They also performed milk 'abhishekam' and poojas to the portrait and demanded action against Viduthalai Siruthaigal (a Dalit party) activists whom they alleged were responsible for the incident.

When the police asked them to disperse, they started throwing stones. More police personnel were sent to the spot and when the violence did not abate, police made a lathicharge, the sources said.Traffic was paralysed for several hours.

Police said there was a wordy duel between a Mutharayar Community leader and a local camp secretary of the Viduthalai Siruthaigal party at Eliparpathi village two days back.

People belonging to the Mutharayar community had pelted stones on the houses of the dalits on Monday,the sources said.

Some unidentified persons then garlanded the portrait with chappals. Police said 65 people belonging to the Mutharayar community including women had been taken into custody in connection with the violence and they were looking for others including some Viduthalai Siruthaigal activists.

Armed police had been posted in the area, police said, adding the situation was under control.