The arrest of five suspected Maoists in Karumathampatti near here is a disturbing development, BJP national secretary H. Raja said here on Tuesday.
Addressing reporters ahead of a public meeting in Karamadai, he said the arrest coming in the wake of repeated unconfirmed reports that Maoists were undergoing arms training in Varusanadu in Theni district was a serious cause of concern.
Police had arrested Roopesh, his wife Shyna and three others on Monday and sent them for remand on Tuesday.
The State government should give a free hand to the police to conduct a combing operation across the State to ensure that there was no Maoist or Naxal presence. This should be similar to the freedom the then chief minister M.G. Ramachandran gave the police to combat Naxal menace near Dharmapuri in the early 1980s.
He also slammed the State government for its poor performance on the law and order front.
