CHENNAI: Tension prevailed at EVK Sampath Road in Egmore on Wednesday evening, when BJP members, who were detained following an attempt to stage a protest without permission, claimed that a youth tried to hurl petrol bombs at them.
BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP national secretary H Raja and party functionaries were arrested on Wednesday morning when they tried to stage a demonstration near Rajarathinam stadium protesting the continued attacks on leaders of Hindu organisations, most recently the murder of Hindu Munnani functionary C Sasikumar in Coimbatore.
Following this, they were detained at Maharashtra Mandal and were to be released in the evening. Meanwhile, at around 5 pm, four youths came on two motorbikes and parked them in front of the gate. One of them identified as Mohammed Meeran (21), of Anna Nagar working in an acid manufacturing company, came with his friends to meet a person who stayed nearby in connection with a business deal. “Learning he was a Muslim, the BJP cadres allegedly tried to attack him,” said a police source. While the other three managed to escape the scene, Mohammed took refuge at the premises of a house in the same street. By then, the leaders and cadres staged a road roko claiming that the youth had come to hurl petrol bombs at them. In the midst of this, party cadre allegedly pelted stones at the house, and damaged police vehicles.
Police immediately nabbed Mohammed and conducted inquiries at the Vepery police station. They also inspected his bike to check if there were any petrol bombs. However, none was found. Tamilisai claimed that the agitation was planned at Valluvarkottam, but was shifted to Egmore following a request from the police. “But we are not allowed to stage demonstration. This is undemocratic,” she charged.