CHENNAI: The Chennai city police have booked Lt. Col (Retd), BB Pandian for his alleged provocative speech at a protest organised by the ex-servicemen cell of the BJP’s TN unit near Omandurar Government Estate on Tuesday. The move comes a day after he threatened the Tamil Nadu government, saying the government should not provoke ex-servicemen as they are experts in planting bombs and handling guns. Pandian is yet to be arrested.
According to the Triplicane police, Pandian has been booked under sections 153 (provocation with intention to cause riot), 505 1 (b) (intent to cause fear or alarm to the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquillity), 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Pandian’s statements went viral on social media and received a lot of criticism.
The members of the ex-servicemen unit of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit organised a hunger protest condemning the state government regarding the killing of an army personnel M Prabhu, in Krishnagiri district and an attack on the party’s SC wing leader Tada Periasamy’s house and property a few days ago.
“The ex-servicemen here (in the protest venue) are experts in planting bombs, and shooting and are well versed in fighting. We are not interested in doing so. But, I warn the Tamil Nadu government not to force us to do it,” Pandian said.
More than 3,000 BJP cadre had also been booked by Chennai police for unlawful assembly in addition to Pandian as they had assembled to protest without permission.