Tamil Nadu: Three police personnel injured in country-made bomb attack, NDA leaders slam CM Stalin

Perambalur (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 24 (ANI): Several unidentified criminals attacked a police team with the intention of killing a gangster in Perambalur on Saturday. They hurled country-made bombs at the police personnel, seriously injuring three of them, Inspector General of Police (Central Zone) Balakrishnan said.
The police team was attacked when the convoy stopped at a roadside hotel near Iraiyur village. The injured officers were rushed to Perambalur Government Hospital for treatment.
Inspector General of Police (Central Zone) Balakrishnan visited the injured police officers in the hospital. The IGP stated that the country bomb attack was a deliberate attempt to kill the criminal who was being escorted by the armed police team.
He said that despite the sudden attack, the police officers acted with courage and presence of mind. During the incident, a sub-inspector fired warning shots at the attackers who had arrived in two vehicles. Hearing the gunshots, the criminals fled the scene.
The IGP assured that the culprits would be arrested soon. He added that five special police teams have been formed and that a large-scale search operation is currently underway.
NDA leaders strongly criticised the DMK government in the state, calling Chief Minister MK Stalin a "puppet."
Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palaniswami, questioned the law and order situation in the state, accusing the Chief Minister of not allowing the police to act independently.
In an X post, EPS said, "In the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly today, while puppet Chief Minister Stalin was patting his own back and boasting away, near the Perambalur toll plaza on the Trichy-Chennai highway, some unidentified individuals have hurled country-made bombs at a police vehicle. This brutal incident occurred when police were taking a rowdy known as Vellai Kali from Madurai, who is connected to various cases, for interrogation. News reports indicate that 4 police personnel, who had come for the rowdies' protection, sustained serious injuries in this bomb-throwing attack and have been admitted to the hospital."
"It seems that those engaging in criminal acts have absolutely no fear of either the police or this government. In a situation where law and order is being made a laughingstock, one wonders who Chief Minister Stalin, who's been spinning the wheel of governance somehow or the other, will try to blame for this incident. I strongly condemn Chief Minister @mkstalin for not allowing the police to act independently," the AIADMK leader added.
AMMK General Secretary, TTV Dhinakaran, who recently rejoined the NDA, attributed the incident to the government's "negligent attitude," and expressed shock.
Dhinakaran wrote on X, "Near Perambalur, country-made bombs hurled at police vehicle - The DMK government's negligent attitude, which has turned Tamil Nadu's law and order into a mockery, is deserving of severe condemnation. News has emerged that four police personnel were injured when an unidentified gang threw country-made bombs at the vehicle carrying rowdies to court for case investigation near Perambalur, causing profound shock."
"In the four and a half years since the DMK assumed power, from murders and robberies to sexual crimes against women, rampant drug trafficking, counterfeit currency usage, and now the addition of a country-made bomb culture to this lineup has rendered law and order in Tamil Nadu questionable, creating a vicious cycle where the police force, tasked with providing safety to the public, now itself requires protection," he added.
The AMMK leader flagged rising crime in the state, while demanding strict action against the miscreants involved in the bomb attack.
"Amid rising complaints that every crime in Tamil Nadu somehow involves DMK affiliates and that the hands of the police are tied to the extent that they cannot take action against the culprits, this recent incident clearly demonstrates that criminals harbour not even the slightest fear of the law. Therefore, I urge the police department and the Tamil Nadu government to arrest all those connected to this country-made bomb incident, which has brought disgrace to the entire police force, take stringent action against them, and ensure that the police personnel, who are duty-bound to protect the public, receive the protection they deserve," Dhinakaran wrote on X. (ANI)