Hours before Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani set out on the second leg of his ‘Jan Chetna Yatra' from here on Friday, explosive material, weighing about six kg, stuffed into a six-foot-long PVC pipe and connected to a 12-volt battery, was found under a causeway at Alampatti near Tirumangalam in Madurai district.
The PVC pipe was packed with explosive material identified by police as ‘Power Gel 90' meant for industrial use. It was found in four packets stuffed into one section of the pipe. The other section was empty.
M. Selvaraj (47) of Alampatti, who noticed a long wire on the Kounda riverbed early in the morning, informed the local councillor, who, in turn, alerted the police. A Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, which was combing the yatra route in a nearby place, rushed to Alampatti and took possession of the explosive. The PVC pipe, with 12 cm diameter, was in two sections, and closed with lids on both ends. A wire was connected to a detonator for a distance of about 50 metres. The 12-volt battery, used in two-wheelers, was found under a Palmyra tree at a distance. The wire was found concealed under heaps of grass and a sari.
The explosive was defused at a place away from the causeway and removed to an undisclosed place for analysis. ‘Power gel' is referred to as a “power-sensitive, high explosive” used for blasting rocks. The BJP leader, who arrived here on Thursday, addressed a public meeting and visited Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. He was to leave for Kerala through Tirumangalam, Alampatti, Srivilliputtur, Rajapalayam, Puliankulam, Kadayanallur, Tenkasi and Shencottah. Mr. Advani's convoy was diverted through Virudhunagar and Sivakasi to reach Rajapalayam.
The narrow causeway on the highway cannot be negotiated by vehicles from both ends. Even in normal times, vehicles stop at one end to give way for those coming in the opposite direction. Speeding vehicles automatically slow down as they approach the causeway. Police officials said foot patrol had been posted all along the route. But the detection of the ‘pipe bomb' came as a rude shock for them. This is the first time that explosive material had been planted on the route of a VIP in south Tamil Nadu, a police officer said.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Rajesh Das said preliminary probe suggested that it might be material used for industrial purpose. The investigation had just commenced. “We will know who was behind the incident as the probe progresses,” he said.
Prior to the visit of Mr. Advani, some Muslim outfits and Tamil organisations had pasted posters in the city and suburban areas. They condemned the BJP leader and the party for “double standards” on issues such as Ayodhya, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and corruption.
The BJP State propaganda secretary Sasiraman said such acts of planting explosives or bombs would not deter or stop the party from achieving its political goal. “We will not be cowed down by such threats… It is for the custodians of law to ensure that such incidents are prevented and culprits booked,” he added.
Inspector-General and Commissioner of Police (Madurai City) P. Kannappan, on instruction from the State government, led Mr. Advani's convoy up to Shencottah, a police source said. On February 14 1998, powerful serial blasts in Coimbatore killed 58 persons and injured 212. It was targeted at Mr. Advani, who was to address a public meeting ahead of the general elections then.
Keywords: Jan Chetna Yatra, Advani rath yatra, anti-corruption rally, BJP, bomb scare, Madurai Police
It is the height of absurdity to talk about politics when the subject in question is totally different. When an anti social element played a dirty trick, rather than commenting over the same, digressing to vent the individual opinion to arraign over the person subjected for risk or his political party is more a communal rather than original communal. Is it the authors' opinion that other political parties are chaste and free from corruption in their opinion for that matter cong, communists, DMK, AIADMK, TDP and A to Z other than BJP? If they say yes then it is to be construed that they are in LKG in politics and general knowledge. No politician or political party is honest and to serve the gullible public and it is naive to think and vote for them. It is a profession adopted as a profession when they find unfit themselves for other professions with qualifications.
Lord Krishna's "GITO-UPADESA", delivered in a question-and-answer fashion while charioteering Arjuna in the Kurushetra battlefield, is an immortal Epic, containg the very essence of Hindu ethics, wisdom and philisophy. What kind of "Upadesa" Sri Lal Krishba (Advani)of our times is trying to deliver to the Indian people in the course of his Rath Yatra?. According to BJP's spin, the main thrust of his "Upadesa" will revolve around "clean politics" and "zero-tolerance of corruption". It is indeed very ironic that his Rath would be rolling into the BJP-ruled State of Karnataka which is reeling under the stench of corruption over the last 3 years. Apart from Sri Yediurappa, 5 to 6 of his former ministerial colleagues are being charge-sheeted for corrution-related misdeeds. It is not that Sei Advani was not aware of these misddeds that were going on in the State right from the time when BJP assumed the reigns of power; but he did precious little to stem the rot.
Advani is a brave man. He cannot be cowed down by the cowardly acts of extremists. He should carry on his good work. We wish him good luck. To those who say that BJP itself would have placed the bomb, it sounds like accusations that the U.S. itself enacted the 9/11 carnage.
Just one point. Imagine the 'state' had MK been the CM :o Even now, the bomb was not found by State Intelligence or CID, it was because of an alert samaritan that a disaster was avoided. The coverage of this event/news only speaks volumes about the hypocrisy of the media.
A bomb being found to kill people sounds political to you all? I see a total bias against Advani. It is a irony that a plan to kill one of the tallest political leader India is looked as a political act.
This yatra don't sounds healthy at all. Advaniji has wasted enough money on this. If he wants the true change, he should look after and interfare in bjp ruled states, he should check the iron rule of Gujarat in the hand of the dictatorial modi. this practice of bullying the public through yatra will not help.
Omar Abdullah was in deep waters after custodian death of a NC worker taken from his residence send in background after he demanded withdrawal of AFSPA from state. He successfully diverted the attention of media by publicly applying established techniques of politicians from the real issues. Advani's rathyatra could not get place in front page of newspapers and its outcome was fading out. A pipe bomb was placed in the way in the state where his party is politically almost absent. We appreciate the skills of managers of the yatra. Who not only saved the life of their leader but brought the news on front page. Monkey may get older but does not relinquish habits of rolling its body. Politicians think that public do not follow their tricks but it is only the public that knows every thing.
this sounds something fishy.., may be it was kept by BJP itself to get some sympathy votes...,
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