VILLUPURAM: The Thoothukudi firing, which claimed the lives of 13 persons, has reportedly forced national leaders of the BJP, including its chief, Amit Shah, and Hindutva poster boy and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to skip the vital state-level meeting of the SC/ST wing of the saffron party on Sunday.
According to a source, the high-profile BJP leaders called off their visit to Villupuram fearing a backlash from the public and the opposition parties, which are holding the Centre and the State governments responsible for the police atrocities on the agitating public in Thoothukudi.
It is also learnt that the Central intelligence agencies also had advised against the visit by top leader of the ruling party, fearing public protest.A few weeks ago, Pon Radhakrishnan, minister of state for finance and shipping, had told the media at a function in Pandakal that BJP national president Amit Shah and Utter Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath would take part in the summit in Villupuram. Keeping this mind, elaborate arrangements were made for the summit.
It is also learnt that the State police and the local police, on their part, had cited shortage of staff to provide security to senior BJP leaders. According to them, senior police officers are currently busy with the tense situation in Thoothukudi. Besides, the state armed police also have their hands full with the ongoing agitation in Thoothukudi.
The absence of senior police officers and the armed police forced the BJP strategists to have a second thought on the visit of two of its senior most leaders to a troubled State. Senior police officials, including an ADSP, is currently camping in Thoothukudi to restore normalcy. It is learnt that apart from Pon Radhakrishnan, minister of state for water resources and Ganga rejuvenation Arun Ram Meghwal and BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan will address the meeting.
The BJP is chalking out a major plan to attract the Dalits in Tamil Nadu to its fold. Keeping this mind, the party had organised the state-level meeting in Villupuram. Senior party office-bearers, however, were reluctant to accept the absence of Amit Shah, and Yogi Adityanath at the meeting, as they did not want to demoralise the party workers and did not want to take the sheen out of the event.
Cops cite staff shortage
It is learnt that the State police and the local police, on their part, had cited shortage of staff to provide security to senior BJP leaders. According to them, senior police officers are currently busy with the tense situation in Thoothukudi