Day after H Raja's remark on Periyar statues, petrol bombs hurled at BJP party office in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Two petrol bombs were hurled in front of BJP's office in Coimbatore on early hours of Wednesday, a day after the party's leader H Raja commented that statues of late Dravidian leader Periyar must be removed from the public places in the state. 

Referring to the CCTV footages, police source said that the three youths came in a motorbikes to the VKK Menon Road at Gandhipuram in the heart of the city and two of them hurled petrol filled bottles which were on fire around 3.20 am.

READ: Periyar statue vandalised in Vellore after BJP leader H Raja's threat on social media

An auto and a two wheeler parked in front of the office were partially damaged in the incident. The petrol bombs were apparently aimed at the name board of the party's office.

VIEW GALLERY: Rare photos of Dravida Kazhagam founder Periyar

CR Nandakumar, district president of the party, alleged, "Police have failed to provide enough security personnel to the party's office even when the state leaders were threatened by the fringe groups. Only one constable was in duty during the time of incident. The assailants escaped after the constable throw stone against them."

The police have collected the CCTV footage and investigating. Meanwhile, condemning the incident BJP has convened an urgent meeting at their party office on Wednesday morning.

Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said Tuesday, as the CPI(M) and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.

The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPI(M) was in power for 25 years.

Soon after, BJP national secretary from Tamil Nadu H Raja posted on social media saying that soon revolutionary Tamil leader EV Ramasamy's statue too would fall. However, the posts on both Facebook and Twitter were later taken down.

Raja's post said, “Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection has India with communists? Lenin's statue has been removed in Tripura. Today, it is Lenin's statue in Tripura, tomorrow, it will be the statue of caste-fanatic EV Ramasamy.”

(with Online Desk inputs)