CHENNAI: BJP state president K Annamalai has alleged that the ministry of home affairs alerted the state government about the Coimbatore car explosion on October 18 itself, but the State intelligence department took up the report only on October 21 and wrote a letter to the district superintendent of police.
Speaking at a press meet here on Saturday, Annamalai added that both the DGP and Coimbatore SP said that they had not received the report from home affairs. Annamalai claimed to have evidence but was unable to publish it due to the Official Secrets Act. However, he was ready to make it available to the public if the State government issues him summons.
Responding to questions regarding the bandh call, he said that the court accepted that he did not make the call for bandh. “The state unit of the BJP would not force anyone to hold a bandh. BJP members in Coimbatore can hold the bandh based on the sentiments of its people. It was their desire to get the support of the people,” he said.
He also pointed out that it was wrong to talk about the four female BJP leaders on the DMK platform. BJP national president JP Nadda contacted him about this.“I spoke to Khushbu, Gautami, Gayatri Raghuram, and Namitha and told them not to retaliate against the DMK. I told them that the party would support them.
“At the same time, I welcome Kanimozhi’s apologies in this regard. However, it is not enough. So, we planned to stage a protest against the DMK. Besides, more than 400 emails have been sent to the National Commission for Women regarding this,” he said.
‘Did not compare journos with anyone’
Annamalai refused the claim that he compared the journalists with anyone during the Cuddalore demonstration. “DMK’s IT wing spread this controversy as usual over my speech in Cuddalore. I was followed by a couple of media friends so that I could not talk to Kariya Kartha members.”