Tamil Nadu BJP steps up heat on state police over Coimbatore car explosion

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Sunday sought to keep up the heat on the state police and the ruling DMK over the October 23 car explosion in Coimbatore, posing a series of questions, besides alleging that the police failed to keep track of the victim of the blast, who he claimed was an ISIS sympathiser.

Even after a week since the fatal explosion, Chief Minister M K Stalin's "silence"  was "known to all," he said and asked why Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji had spoken on the issue.

A day after the Tamil Nadu police issued a statement accusing the BJP leader of diverting the probe into the matter, Annamalai sought to know whether the state police chief was aware of a "special division" report that Jamesha Mubin, who was killed in the gas cylinder explosion in the car last Sunday, was an "ISIS sympathiser."

In a statement, he included information in this regard, claiming those were from the police' "special division" report.

Referring to the police' accusation that he was trying to divert the probe, Annamalai, a former IPS officer, said "we realise it is our responsibility to question the government as a constructive opposition and take the truth to the people."

"The police department has no right to say no to that," he said.

There has been no response to many of the queries raised by his party over the incident, including Mubeen being an ISIS sympathiser and why the CM had not responded earlier, even after 36 hours after the explosion.

"It is seven days today since the incident. That the chief minister is silent is known to all," he said.

Referring to Electricity minister Senthil Balaji, Annamalai said someone completely unconnected with "this department" (Home) spoke about the issue. Stalin holds the Home portfolio.

Annamalai said as a "constructive opposition party," the BJP had already posed a series of questions, including asking why many details regarding the incident and some of the arrested persons, were not released.