Murasoli article and silence of CM: BJP, others accuse DMK of ‘playing politics’ over petrol bomb attacks

Even in the neighbouring state of Kerala, PFI-SDPI members went on a rampage on the day a hartal was called by them to condemn the actions of the NIA and the BJP-ruled Central government. Public property, especially 70 government buses, was damaged. Drivers and passengers suffered injuries. Other violent incidents were also reported.

This forced the Kerala High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter. It then asked the state government how it proposed to recover the losses from the PFI for the damages caused. According to reports, nearly 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Kerala.

Petrol bomb attacks ‘staged’?

In such a scenario, Murasoli, the official mouthpiece of the ruling DMK, carried a full-page column on Monday urging the Tamil Nadu Police to see if the petrol bomb attacks and damaging of vehicles were staged by the BJP and the RSS.

The full-page column that appeared on DMK mouthpiece Murasoli asking the police to probe if the petrol bomb attacks were staged by the BJP and RSS. (Supplied)

In the column, Murasoli recalled incidents from the recent past where such attacks were allegedly stage-managed by the saffron party and its ideological parent organisation in different parts of the country.

Interestingly, this has also been the narrative pushed by several accounts on social media that support the DMK.

Similar views were echoed by leaders of the alliance parties of the DMK, such as the VCK, and even the CPI and the CPI(M).

It may be noted that few such incidents have been reported in the past. For example, in April this year, the BJP’s Tiruvallur West district secretary Satish Kumar was arrested by the police for setting his own car on fire, in what was initially reported as a petrol bomb attack. He set his car ablaze to apparently get the insurance money in order to buy jewellery for his wife.

However, the mouthpiece of the ruling party carrying such an article at a time when tension prevailed in the state over the petrol bomb attacks prompted many, especially the Opposition parties, to accuse the DMK government of “playing politics” over the violence.

Even as the DMK mouthpiece asked the cops to probe if the petrol bomb attacks were staged, the Tamil Nadu Police, as on Monday, had arrested at least 14 people in connection with the cases registered over the Molotov cocktail attacks and damaging of vehicles. Several of the arrested persons belonged to the PFI or the SDPI.

This came as a vindication for the Tamil Nadu BJP, which had claimed that the violent incidents were a fallout of the NIA raids and the arrest of PFI-SDPI leaders.

The Murasoli article aside, what was also striking was that Chief Minister MK Stalin, who also holds the Home portfolio, did not issue any statement condemning the petrol bomb attacks and the other violent incidents.

This was also highlighted in the letter that BJP state chief K Annamalai wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 24 September, seeking necessary directions to the DMK government for maintaining law and order in the state.

Have written to our Hon HM Shri @amitshah avl on the deteriorating law & order situation in our state, Tamil Nadu.
Petrol Bomb, Damaging private property have become the norm for anti- national forces which DMK govt is finding it hard to reign them in. pic.twitter.com/N7kVO01jrH

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) September 24, 2022

‘DMK appeasing minorities’

According to the state BJP leaders, the DMK government was “taking things lightly”, and it was allegedly a result of the ruling party’s “minority appeasement”.

BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan inspected the damages caused due to the petrol bomb attacks against BJP-RSS workers in Coimbatore. (Supplied)

Vanathi Srinivasan, the BJP MLA from Coimbatore South, told South First that the Murasoli article was a diversion tactic by the DMK government, which, according to her, had “miserably failed” in maintaining law and order in the state.

“The DMK government is taking things lightly. For example, despite areas such as Coimbatore being communally sensitive, the government did not take any preventive action. Has any senior leader or minister commented about the violence? Why has the chief minister not issued any statement yet?” she asked.

“They are keeping mum because the DMK wants to appease the minorities. On several occasions, DMK leaders have said that they came to power only because of the minorities. So, what do you expect from them?” said the MLA rhetorically.

‘Why should DMK take sides?’

Agreeing with the views that the minority votes were important for the DMK, political analyst Sumanth C Raman opined that the party should not take sides when it comes to issues relating to law and order.

“Murasoli pointed out previous instances where BJP-RSS workers staged such attacks. But the Tamil Nadu Police have arrested persons belonging to the PFI and the SDPI, among others, in connection with the recent violent incidents. There is no need for the DMK to take sides,” he told South First.

“When it comes to law and order, their stand should be: Whoever tries to indulge in violence and tries to disturb peace will face strict action irrespective of their religion or caste. The politics around the issue is unnecessary. The DMK is driving itself into a corner, which is making it look like a minority-driven party,” he added.

‘No compromise on law and order’

However, DMK spokesperson A Saravanan refuted the charges. He told South First that there would be no compromise on law-and-order issues.

“Politics is different. And law-and-order issues are different. Whoever is disturbing the peace will be dealt with with an iron fist. The BJP wants to bring a communal angle into everything and create discord. It cannot do constructive politics,” he remarked.

He further stated that the BJP cannot dictate what the chief minister should do, when asked why MK Stalin had not issued any statement on the violence.