BJP trying to politicise Coimbatore car explosion: Minister Senthil Balaji 

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji on Thursday accused the BJP of trying to blow out of proportion the car explosion in the city to take political advantage for the 2024 Parliamentary elections.

Talking to reporters after reviewing the law and order situation with senior district and police officials, in the aftermath of the incident on October 23, the Minister clarified that there was no bomb inside the car and the explosion was due to a cylinder blast.

To prove his point, he said nails and marbles were strewn separately and cylinders were kept separately indicating that there was no bomb in the car.

The minister lauded the efforts of the police and district administration for arresting the culprits and solving the case within 12 hours and bringing the situation back to normal.

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On October 23, 75-kg of explosives, including potassium nitrate were seized from the residence of 29-year-old Jamesha Mubeen who was killed after a gas cylinder exploded in the car in which he was travelling.

The decision by Chief Minister M K Stalin to transfer the case to the NIA was taken as the accused had connections beyond the district to other states, Balaji said.

Asked how BJP State president K Annamalai gave details of the incident even before the police could, the Minister said "he should be interrogated by the NIA in this regard.

" Is he involved and knew about the incident," he asked.

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He said that by announcing a bandh on October 31, the BJP was trying to create unnecessary tension and fear among the citizens only to take political advantage for the 2024 Parliamentary elections.

The Electricity Minister asked how many leaders who were raising the explosion issue had reacted to the death of the first Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash in Coonoor in Nilgiris district last year.

On allegations by BJP leaders that Stalin was taking political revenge and neglecting Coimbatore, by not visiting the city after the explosion, he said the DMK government was giving special attention to the district and allotted more funds, including for road and airport expansion projects.

Stalin had visited Coimbatore five times in the last one and half years and had interactions with industrialists to solve their problems, he said.