'Never called for bandh in Coimbatore', TN BJP chief Annamalai tells court

BJP in Tamil Nadu on Friday spoke in two voices on the issue of a day-long bandh in Coimbatore in protest against the state government’s “lethargic” attitude with regard to the October 23 car blast.

While party leader and Coimbatore (South) MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said the bandh will be observed as announced on October 31, the state unit chief K Annamalai told the Madras High Court that he had not given any call for a strike. The contradicting statements have exposed deep fissures within the BJP over the sensitive issue.

BJP’s Coimbatore unit had on October 26 announced that it will observe a day-long bandh on October 31 to protest the DMK government’s “lethargic attitude” over terror incidents in the city. Party’s national executive member C P Radhakrishnan and Srinivasan, BJP Mahila Morcha chief, had confirmed that the bandh will go on and none can stop them.

Annamalai’s statement to the court was recorded by his counsel, R C Paul Kanagaraj, during hearing of a petition filed by a businessman from Coimbatore seeking a stay on the bandh call by BJP. Kanagaraj told the division bench of justices Paresh Upadhyay and D Bharatha Chakravarthy that Annamalai, as state BJP chief, has not called for a bandh on October 31.

Recording the submission, the bench posted the case to November 1. It also reminded the state government it was its duty to maintain law and order in the state.

Annamalai’s submission before the court came hours after Srinivasan said the BJP will go ahead with the bandh and is not bothered about the government's nod for the same. Though the state government hasn’t ruled out terror angle to Sunday’s blast, the BJP calls it a terror attack and has blamed the DMK.