Coimbatore: BJP’s district unit on Saturday withdrew the strike planned for October 31 against the Coimbatore car blast case.
A few industrialists contacted our state chief K Annamalai to call the strike off, considering the losses that would incur, said Coimbatore BJP chief Balaji Uthamaramasamy.
The Coimbatore unit of BJP in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday announced to conduct a 12-hour strike across the city on October 31 as a mark of protest against the car cylinder blast that took place on October 23 in Ukkadam.
Earlier on Friday, expressing his dissatisfaction over the alleged State government’s delay in handing over the Coimbatore blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on said there should be “no politics” on terrorism.
Governor Ravi also expressed serious concern over the possible destruction of crucial evidence in a “high-profile terror plot”, said Raj Bhavan.
Governor praised the police, which established the car blast as a serious terror attack conspiracy within hours of the incident and lamented soft peddling by the State government. He urged “no politics on terrorism and no leniency to terrorists as they are enemies of the nation and friends of none,” added the Raj Bhavan.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president K Annamalai on Thursday asked a couple of questions to Chief Minister MK Stalin in connection with the Coimbatore “suicide bombing” incident, and asked if he will remain in “silent mode”.
The incident took place on October 23 when an LPG cylinder inside a Maruti 800, Jameesha Mubin, the person who was charred to death, exploded near a temple around 4 am. Six persons have been arrested so far in connection with the case.
Questioning Stalin over the incident, Annamalai asked why was the state government “caught napping” when there was a “specific threat alert” flagged by the central agencies five days ahead of the blast.
“Two questions for @CMOTamilnadu 1. There was a specific threat alert given by central intelligence agencies to TN Govt on Oct 18th, 2022. This is five days before the ‘suicide bombing’ incident. Why was the state govt caught napping?” the BJP state chief tweeted.
The BJP leader further asked the reason behind stopping the monitoring of the activities of Mubin who he called a “suicide bomber”, as against the instructions to monitor his activities (after NIA’s Enquiry in 2019).
“When the TN state intelligence and Coimbatore police were asked to monitor the activities of the ‘suicide bomber’ & now deceased Mubin (after NIA’s Enquiry in 2019) and which the local police were doing initially but stopped after a while. Why was it stopped after DMK came to power?” he tweeted. “Is it because of political pressure not to monitor ‘certain’ individuals? Will our CM care to answer, or as usual, will he be in ‘silent mode’?” Annamalai tweeted.
Meanwhile, AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister RB Udaya Kumar lambasted the DMK government over the law and order situation.
He said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin should tell people what measures he had taken to prevent terrorist activities in the state.
Speaking to media persons, Kumar had said, “Whenever the DMK was in power, there have been continuous bomb blasts in Tamil Nadu. In 1998, there were serial bomb blasts in 11 places and more than 50 people died during the DMK regime. No terrorist attack took place during the AIADMK rule. And now when DMK is in power, terrorist attacks are taking place in Tamil Nadu.”
“Chief Minister Stalin should break his silence and resolve this issue. DMK regime will be overthrown by the people if Stalin does not break his silence,” he added.
NIA registered a case to probe October 23 Coimbatore LPG cylinder explosion that occurred in a car. The NIA registered the case after the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order asking the anti-terror agency to start probe into the case.
The MHA order comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin recommended for NIA probe in the case. Stalin, in a recommendation letter, to the MHA had requested on Wednesday to transfer the investigation of the case related to the car cylinder explosion in the Ukkadam area in Coimbatore to the NIA, and directed police to ensure security in Coimbatore.
Tamil Nadu Police so far has arrested six people in connection with the case, and have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Those arrested are learned to be associates of Jameesha Mubin, who was charred to death in suspicious circumstances after an LPG cylinder inside a Maruti 800 he was driving exploded near a temple around 4 am.
According to police, Mubin, 25, who was an engineering graduate, has been previously questioned by the NIA in 2019 for alleged terror links. His name is mentioned as the primary accused in the case.
Five people arrested on Monday night were Mohammad Thalka, 25, Mohammad Asarudheen, 25, Muhammad Riyaz, 27, Feroz Ismail, 27, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail, 27. However, the sixth person, identified as Afsar Khan, a relative of the deceased, was arrested earlier on Thursday. Khan is the cousin of the deceased. He was picked two days before by the special investigation team. On Wednesday, Police officials also conducted searches on Khan’s residence and took his laptop.
Earlier on Sunday, Tamil Nadu DGP said the police found materials used to make explosives in Mubin’s house in Ukkadam. They seized 75 kgs of potassium nitrate, charcoal, aluminium powder and sulphur which can be used to make explosives. (ANI)
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