Tamil Nadu saw multiple instances of targeted attacks against BJP and RSS functionaries with vehicles being torched and petrol bombs hurled at different locations.
These attacks come against the backdrop of the nation-wide crackdown on radical Islamist outfits Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
Attack 1
On 24 September 2022, the car of a BJP functionary was torched in Puliyampatti near Sathyamangalam in Erode district. Sivasekar (51) is a resident of Punjai Puliyampatti, and is a former Vice President of BJP’s campaign team. He runs a travel agency and had a few cars parked near his come. At around 1 AM, residents alerted Sivasekar of a car raging in fire. Firemen were called to put off the fire but the car was completely charred by the time they arrived. Police have registered a complaint and an investigation has been launched.
Attack 2
In a similar incident in Kenikarai of Ramanathapuram district, two cars parked inside hospital premises were set on fire by mysterious men on the night of 23 September 2022. The two cars belong to Dr. Manoj Kumar an ardent BJP supporter who works at the government college in the district.
Attack 3
Petrol bombs were hurled at RSS functionary Seetharaman’s residence at Chitlapakkam in Tambaram near Chennai at around 4 AM on 24 September 2022.No casualties were reported in the incident.
Tamil Nadu | At around 4 am, we heard a loud sound and saw fire outside. We thought it to be a short circuit but it wasn't the case. We doused the fire and called police officials. They got the footage of the accused, says Seetharaman on whose house petrol bombs were hurled pic.twitter.com/uSf25KPHl9
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2022
Attack 4
Unidentified assailants came in a bike and pelted stones at the residence of an RSS functionary in Tiruppur district on 23 September 2022.
Attack 5
Petrol bombs were hurled at the house of Kovaipudur RSS leader Anatha Kalyana Krishnan on the night of 23 September 2022. Anantha Kalyana Raman is in-charge of Samskrita Bharati’s Tamil Nadu and Kerala unit. At around 9:30 PM, two mysterious men came in a two-wheeler and threw petrol bombs which landed outside his house. A complaint has been lodged at the Kuniyamuthur police station.
Attack 6
At around 7:30 PM on 24 September 2022, three petrol bombs were thrown at the house of MS Krishnan, an RSS functionary in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. In the CCTV footage, a man can be running towards the house with three bottles of petrol bomb and throwing them one after the other in succession. After hurling bombs, he is seen pillion riding on a bike and leaving the spot.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Three petrol bombs were thrown and we are investigating in this regard. No one was injured and damaged in the accident: Shanmugam, Assistant Commissioner on petrol bomb hurled at the house of an RSS member in Madurai
(CCTV Visual Source: Local Police) pic.twitter.com/qxOBjGmg3y
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2022
Attack 7
In Kudaiparaipatti near Dindigul, two miscreants set ablaze a car and five two-wheelers parked at a godown belonging to T Paulraj, District President of BJP Dindigul. The incident happened on the early hours of 24 September 2022.
In Dindugal, Kudaiparaipatti BJP Member Senthil Palraj came under attack by Jihadis. 1 car & 5 two-wheelers were torched to ashes as Anti-Social elements are going on a rampage throughout Tamil Nadu..
News Source: Thanthi TV pic.twitter.com/8IpBRD5LGo
— SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) September 24, 2022
Attack 8
Another bottle bomb was hurdled at BJP worker Sarath’s residence in Kuniyamuthur near Coimbatore on the night of 23 September 2022 in which a car parked in the premises was damaged.
Attack 9
In Erode’s Moolapalayam, local BJP leader Dakshinamoorthy’s furniture shop came under attack of diesel bombs on the wee hours of Thursday. Some persons threw packets filled with petrol and diesel into the locked shop and lit fire damaging a portion of the shop.
Erode Moolapalayam, BJP local leader Dakshinamoorthy's furniture shop under attack by Diesel Bombs yesterday early hours..
News Source: Thanthi TV pic.twitter.com/kmRvAGUe3M
— SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) September 24, 2022
Attack 10
Around 3 AM in Pollachi’s Kumaran Nagar, miscreants hurled a plastic cover filled with diesel on the car parked outside the house of a BJP functionary and attempted to set it on fire. As the attempt to torch failed, the miscreants damaged the windshield and side glasses of the car. The BJP functionary reportedly saw two people absconding in a bike.
Attack 11
In another incident in Pollachi, two autorickshaws belonging to Hindu Munnani members, which had been in front of their houses were damaged by the miscreants on the same day.
Attack 12
At around 8.15 PM on 23 September 2022, an unidentified man came on a two-wheeler and hurled a petrol bomb at a textile shop on Oppanakara Street in Coimbatore.
Attack 13
In a similar incident on 23 September 2022, a person came on a two-wheeler at around 8.40 PM and threw a petrol bomb towards the BJP office and sped away. The unignited petrol bomb was found in front of the district headquarters of BJP office on VKK Menon road in New Sidhapudur in the city.
In just a span of 24 hours, Coimbatore saw 4 attacks with petrol bombs, the target being the properties of RSS and BJP members.
In light of the worsening law and order situation in the state, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take cognizance. According to the Annamalai, 19 incidents had been reported as of 24 September 2022.
Have written to our Hon HM Shri @amitshah avl on the deteriorating law & order situation in our state, Tamil Nadu.
Petrol Bomb, Damaging private property have become the norm for anti- national forces which DMK govt is finding it hard to reign them in. pic.twitter.com/N7kVO01jrH— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) September 24, 2022
Security across the state has been beefed up and Rapid Action Force, State Commandos and Special Forces have been deployed at Coimbatore after multiple attacks.
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