DGP and intelligence chief should take blame for Coimbatore blast: BJP's Annamalai

Annamalai pinned the blame on the two officials, alleging an 'intelligence failure'

In a detailed counter to Tamil Nadu Police’s statement that accused him of trying to “divert” the probe into the Coimbatore blast, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Sunday sought to know why the state police did not put under its surveillance the suspect who died in the October 23 incident despite inputs from a special unit as early as July this year.

Annamalai, who has been training his guns on Director General of Police (DGP) C Sylendra Babu and ADGP (Intelligence) Davidson Devasirvatham on the Coimbatore blasts, pinned the blame on the above-mentioned two for “intelligence failure” and asserted that the BJP will continue to raise questions on the incident as a “constructive Opposition party.”

He also asked the DGP to realize that he was a “police officer” and “not a dictator”, while responding to a two-page statement by the TN Police on Saturday which asked Annamalai, a “former Karnataka police officer”, not to “defame” the state police force. The statement had accused Annamalai of giving false information on intelligence inputs from the Centre and trying to divert the probe by speaking in detail about the incident.

“A report submitted by a Special Unit of the Tamil Nadu police after the incident termed Jameesha Mubin, the occupant of the vehicle, as a suicide bomber. Will the police deny this information? Will the police also deny that Mubin had posted a status message which talked about his imminent death?” Annamalai asked.

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He also included snapshots of the “secret report” and WhatsApp status of Mubin in a 9-page “point-by-point rebuttal” to the police statement. The state BJP president also said the police or the DGP has no right to tell a political party not to raise questions against an elected government and sought to know how ministers like V Senthil Balaji got access to probe details and DMK spokespersons to “secret intelligence alerts.”

Annamalai also sought to know whether police can deny that Mubin had links with ISIS and why no action was taken to “monitor” the deceased despite his name finding mention in a list of 96 persons put out by a special unit of police.

“Mubin’s name figured in the list as 89th person and there was enough evidence to show that he was radicalized towards ISIS ideology. But there was no action by the police though the information was given in July,” he said.

The BJP chief also asked the DGP to explain why the post of intelligence officer for Coimbatore was not filled for months together and a replacement was appointed only a few months back.

“The 1998 Coimbatore blast (which killed 58 people) was an intelligence failure and the 2022 blast is also an intelligence failure and I blamed the DGP and ADGP for this. The DGP should have shown the same interest that he shows in cycling in policing as well,” he said.

Annamalai also said the DGP can constitute a special team to “investigate” his tenure in Karnataka during which he made “Tamil Nadu proud.”