Don't threaten public in the name of bande

The state government would take stringent action against those who threaten or cause discomfort to the public by asking them to shut their shops for bandh, said electricity minister V Senthil Balaji on Thursday in the city.
The minister spoke to news persons after chairing a law and order meeting at the collector’s office in the city.

He said, “Immediately after cylinders blasted near Kottaimedu in the city on October 23, the city police had rushed to the spot and DGP Sylendra Babu had reached the city to investigate the issue. Within 12 hours after the incident, police had managed to collect full details about the person who died in the incident.

The car in which the cylinder had blasted, had shifted ten hands and within 24 hours, police had arrested suspects.” Even though the incident had not disturbed the normal life of the public and they have been going about their usual routine, the BJP has been trying to politicize the issue, he said and added that the BJP state president K Annamalai had issued statements at preliminary stage of investigation with an aim to cause tension among the public.

He said, NIA should investigate Annamalai to find out his source of information. The Chief Minister had recommended for NIA investigation as the involvement of people from other states has been suspected, he said and added that BJP has been proclaiming that the case was transferred to NIA because of their pressure. Following the incident, more than 3,000 police personnel were deployed in the district and about 40 temporary check-posts have been set up.  

Did the BJP that has been working hard to politicize the issue, spoke about the death of former chief of army staff Bipin Rawat, he questioned, hinting that they were politicizing the issue with an eye on the upcoming parliamentary election.   He warned off taking stringent action against those who threaten or cause discomfort to the public in the name of bandh. Normalcy had returned in the city and people need not panic, he said, adding that the investigation is going on the right path.

“Of the numerous political parties, only BJP is trying to politicize the incident. So, there is no need to organize an all party meeting. Comparing the incident with the 1998 bomb blast in the city on social media, partymen are creating unwanted panic among the people. They are under the watch of police officials and would take strict action against them,” the minister said.

The DMK would win in all the 40 constituencies including the ones in Puducherry in the upcoming parliamentary election, he added. Coimbatore collector GS Sameeran, west zone IG Sudhakar, city police commissioner Balakrishnan, police superintendent Badri Narayanan, corporation commissioner Pratap, mayor Kalpana Anandkumar and other officials were present with the minister.