Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Chief Coordinator Seeman has once again stirred controversy by paying tribute to Palani Baba, also known as Ahmed Ali, the president of the All India Jihad Committee, on his death anniversary on 28 January 2024. Palani Baba, considered an Islamic extremist, has been linked to terrorist activities. This tribute follows a previous incident where Seeman drew widespread backlash for calling another Islamic terrorist, SA Basha, “father” and praising him. Basha, who passed away on 16 December 2024 due to health complications, was the mastermind behind the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts, which claimed the lives of 58 people and left 231 others injured. Basha was also the founder of the extremist group Al-Umma.
NTK Chief Seeman via his official X account stated, “Tamils! Don’t be attached to ethnicity; Be a racist! Otherwise, you will be ruled, and never rule! Let us praise the great glory of the holy warrior brother Palani Baba! Naam Tamilar!”
தமிழர்களே! இனப்பற்று கொள்ளாதீர்கள்; இனவெறி கொள்ளுங்கள்! இல்லையேல், ஆளப்படுவீர்களே ஒழிய, ஒருபோதும் ஆளமாட்டீர்கள்!
புனிதப் போராளி அண்ணன் பழனி பாபா அவர்களின் பெரும்புகழ்ப் போற்றுவோம்!
நாம் தமிழர்! pic.twitter.com/iPJxnkTHpC
— செந்தமிழன் சீமான் (@Seeman4TN) January 28, 2025
The post has generated widespread backlash and drawn severe criticism from netizens, many of whom have condemned Seeman’s comments for promoting divisive and controversial views promoting terrorists.
Who Is Palani Baba?
Palani Baba, whose real name was Ahmed Ali, was a notorious figure in Tamil Nadu’s history of Islamic terrorism. Born in Pudhu Ayakkudi, a village near Palani in Dindigul district, Ahmed Ali was raised by his maternal uncle after the death of his parents. He became involved in nefarious activities during his college years, causing embarrassment to his family. Ali went on to establish the All India Jihad Committee (AIJC) in 1986, an Islamist fundamentalist organization, and was known for his connections to groups like the All India Milli Council, which was reportedly linked to Saudi-Wahhabi ideologies.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tamil Nadu witnessed the rise of Islamic fundamentalist groups, and Ahmed Ali capitalized on this wave. During MGR’s rule, he became known for his controversial activities, which drew the attention of the DMK under Karunanidhi. The DMK reportedly supported him to oppose MGR, even though Ali’s rhetoric and actions were divisive, including his claims of ties with the LTTE. By 1990, Ali had garnered significant support from the DMK. It is to be noted that Ahmed Ali addressed MGR in singular in whichever public meeting he spoke. Dressed like Yasar Arafat, Ahmed Ali made vitriolic speeches against Hindus and was instrumental in fomenting violence against the Hindus especially in the Coimbatore region.
Ahmed Ali was involved in various killings of Hindus in Coimbatore. In 1990, Israeli intelligence arrested a Palestinian student who was studying in south India. During interrogation it was revealed that there was a possible presence of internationally linked Islamic terror cells in Coimbatore. However, the Israeli warnings were rejected by local police and intelligence. Ali’s involvement in violent acts against Hindus escalated during the early 1990s, and his influence grew further with the formation of Al Ummah, a jihadist group connected to organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s ISI. The group was implicated in several bombings, most notably the 1998 Coimbatore bombings, which targeted prominent political figures, including LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
Despite his ties to DMK and other political entities like the PMK, Ali’s violent actions eventually led to a fallout with his former supporters. He was assassinated on 28 January 1997, outside his home by a group of six people, allegedly in retaliation for his anti-Hindu rhetoric and the killing of two Hindu activists earlier that year. Though his death was surrounded by controversy, including some unsubstantiated claims about personal disputes, his legacy remains one of spreading Islamic extremism in Tamil Nadu during a turbulent time.
Today, Ahmed Ali (Palani Baba) is remembered and even honored by several separatist and minority-appeasing groups, including Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and, at times, the DMK, despite his violent and extremist legacy.
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