Kovai car blast: 'Tamil soil now heaven for anti-nationals’

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu state BJP president K Annamalai on Thursday said the Tamil soil has become a heaven for all anti-national elements to take refuge.

Speaking to ANI in the wake of the car blast in Coimbatore on October 23, in which one person was charred to death, Annamalai said, "We are happy that the case is going to National Investigation Agency (NIA). The tentacles of this terror are much deeper. It has spread across Coimbatore."

"We are worried about the mindset of this government. The case was of such seriousness and ramifications but the state government denied admitting it and even forced the DGP to call it a cylinder blast... Such kind of thing never happened in the history of Tamil Nadu. We have never seen this kind of incompetent government, " the state BJP leader said.

He alleged that the ruling DMK government was completely clueless about internal security and law and order.

"Tamil soil has become a heaven for all anti-national elements to come and hide here. The intention of the attack was to kill thousands," said the BJP leader.

Annamalai also alleged that DMK government forced the state DGP to term the terror attack a cylinder blast for appeasement politics. He alleged that the police force were restrained by the state government to take action against terror activities.

"There is political pressure on the police officers not to divulge this (that it was terror a module). The CM has to take responsibility for maintaining a very poor security apparatus in the state and more importantly doing minority appeasement politics," Annamalai said.

"Just a month before, a bomb was hurled on 32 BJP office bearers by the PFI (Popular Front of India). The DGP called it a minor 'minor skirmish' They even denied that PFI was behind the attack. Terror attacks do not differentiate between Hindu, Muslim or Christian. In the name of minority appeasement, they are not going to get minority votes also," he added.

The Tamil Nadu BJP chief on Tuesday said that state police should accept the incident as a "suicide attack."

He said the Tamil Nadu BJP has written to home minister Amit Shah seeking a transfer of the case to the National Investigation Agency.

Addressing a press conference here Annamalai had said, "A day before Diwali, a car exploded in Coimbatore. Raids by NIA and arrests have shown that Coimbatore has become a den of terrorists. Police have recovered 50 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium, sodium, fuse wire and 7-volt batteries from the residence of Jamesha Mubin (who died in the accident). Police have not disclosed this till now."

"On October 21, Jamesha Mubin posted a WhatsApp status similar to that of ISIS," Annamalai said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into October 23 Coimbatore LPG cylinder explosion in a car considering the possibility of cross-state developments and international relations in the investigation.

In the recommendation letter, Stalin has asked to transfer the investigation of the case related to the car cylinder explosion in the Ukkadam area to the NIA and continued to ensure security in Coimbatore.

Stalin's order followed a detailed review meeting held earlier on Wednesday regarding the ongoing investigation of the case.

The move comes after Tamil Nadu Police on Tuesday invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the case, and a day ago arrested five men who were 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.

As per police, Mubin, 25, who was an engineering graduate, has been previously questioned by the NIA in 2019 for alleged terror links. He has been registered as the primary accused in the case.

The five people arrested on Monday night were Mohammad Thalka, 25, Mohammad Asarudheen, 25, Muhammad Riyaz, 27, Feroz Ismail, 27, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail, 27.

Since the explosion occurred in Ukkadam, a communally sensitive area, the state's top police officers, including Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu and Additional DGP (law and order) Thamarai Kannan, rushed to the spot.

The DGP on Sunday 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.