VHP calls for banning Indian National League Party for glorifying terrorists who carried out 1998 Coimbatore blasts

E Arumuga Kani, District Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in a letter written to the Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah, has demanded a ban on Indian National League Party (INLP).

VHP has also filed a complaint with the District Collector and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to end the glorification of a terrorist responsible for killing innocent people.

Recently, the INLP had commemorated the death anniversary of Imam Ali, the leader of the banned terror outfit Al-Umma, that is accused of bombing the RSS Chennai Karyalaya killing 11 persons. It was also responsible for the 1998 Coimbatore bombings when powerful bombs exploded in multiple parts of the city on 14th February 1998, threatening the security of the then Deputy Prime Minister and BJP veteran L K Advani and Union Minster Murli Manohar Joshi. Both the BJP leaders were to address election meeting for the 1998 Lok Sabha polls in Coimbatore. There were 12 serial high-intensity explosions in a different part of Coimbatore. This led to the killing of 58 people and 250 injured.

An investigation conducted revealed that, the banned Muslim fundamentalist outfit Al-Umma, headed by SA Basha was found to be responsible for the blasts. The aim was to assassinate LK Advani and Imam Ali, an expert in bomb making was involved in the blasts. 

Many security experts believe that Tamil Nadu could possibly emerge as the next place for Islamic terrorists to operate with impunity.

The INLP had earlier released advertisements in an English daily (The Hindu) in 2018 and 2019 marking the death anniversary of Imam Ali. This year, the ads were published in Nellai edition of Dinakaran (owned by Sun Group) and the local paper, ‘The Nellai Times’. 

Imam Ali had threatened to demolish Hindu temples like famous Madurai Meenakshi and the investigation revealed that he was trained by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and by the banned Hizbul Mujahideen.

Ali was shot dead in an encounter on 29 September 2002, in a joint operation by Tamil Nadu police and Bangalore city police led by then SP of STF, Ashok Kumar.