Tamil Nadu: Annamalai, others detained while protesting against DMK govt over funeral procession of Coimbatore blasts' mastermind

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 20 (ANI): Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and several other leaders were detained by the police in Coimbatore on Friday, while they were protesting against the security being provided for the funeral of the mastermind in the Coimbatore bomb blast case.

In a post on X, Annamalai criticized the Tamil Nadu government for allowing the funeral procession of SA Basha, the mastermind of the 1998 serial bombings in Coimbatore.
"The police of the incompetent DMK government have arrested all of us, including the Hindu Munnani State President Kadeshwara C. Subramaniam, Vishwa Hindu Parishad District President Sivalingam, and the public, who participated in the Black Day rally held this evening to condemn the DMK government for supporting the Coimbatore bomb blast terrorists," he wrote on X.
"The people of Tamil Nadu will soon respond to the drama that the DMK is carrying out for vote bank politics by providing security for the funeral procession of the terrorist who killed civilians with a bomb in Coimbatore and arresting us for demanding to ensure public safety," he added.
Earlier, Union Minister L Murugan also condemned the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for allowing the funeral procession of SA Basha.
"I strongly condemn the DMK government. The DMK government is supporting the terrorist who was involved in the 1998 Coimbatore blast. More than 56 persons died in that blast," Murugan told ANI.
Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan also criticized the Tamil Nadu government for allowing the funeral procession of SA Basha, questioning whether this act encourages the "killing of innocent people by allowing an evil spirit to be paraded as a martyr."
Radhakrishnan further remarked that former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi failed to take appropriate action, saying, "The Coimbatore blasts happened because Karunanidhi failed to take appropriate action. The question arises whether the Tamil Nadu government is encouraging the killing of innocent people by allowing an evil spirit to be paraded as a martyr."
The minister pointed out that the target of the bomb blast was senior BJP leader LK Advani, and it took the lives of 56 people and injured several others.
Basha, founder of the Al-Ummar outfit, died from illness while he was out on parole. He was serving time in jail for his role as the mastermind of the 1998 serial blasts.
Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan defended the funeral procession, saying that it was the right of the family. He said that the government had nothing to do with this procession. (ANI)