TN chief secretary reviews law and order situation with top officials in Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu Chief Secreatary V Iraianbu on Saturday reviewed with top officials the law and order situation in Coimbatore in the backdrop of hurling of petrol bombs at many places that happened in the wake of the NIA action against the Popular Front of India (PFI) across the country, including in the state earlier this week.

Properties of BJP and RSS activists and sympathisers being targeted in different districts including Dindugul and Chengalpet in overnight incidents were also reported.

With a number of incidents being reported from this city, security was stepped up with the deployment of additional forces.

On Saturday, Iraianbu reviewed the situation with Coimbatore District Collector G S Sameeran, City Police Commissioner V Balakrishnan, West Zone IG R Sudhakar and Superintendent of Police, V Badrinarayan through video conferencing.

Talking to reporters, Sameeran said the chief secretary reviewed the situation with district collectors, top police officials of 17 districts, particularly Coimbatore about the seven incidents, including the stray ones which occured in the last two days.

Since there were no casualties or major damage to property in the seven incidents, there is no no need for the citizens to be apprehensive. BJP and RSS functionaries' vehicles were torched and stones pelted in their houses in Coimbatore and nearby areas in the last two days, besides in Dindigul and Chengalpet following the NIA raids against PFI on Thursday for allegedly supporting terror related activities. The persons behind the incident will be brought to book by going through CCTV footage in the areas, Sameeran said.

Further, a Social Demorcratic Party of India (SDPI) functionary, Zafrullah was waylaid and attacked on Friday, police said.

The administration and police department have organised meeting as part of the need to maintain communal harmony with Muslim and Hindu representatives, Sameeran said.

To a question on delay of arrest of miscreants in connection with the attacks on Sangh outfit members, Balakrishnan said that police have identified a few culprits and action will be taken in a couple of days.

There was a delay in identifying them as their motorcycles were moving in high speed, he said, ading strigent action will be taken against those involved in the cases.

He said 3,500 police personnel were deployed across the city and the police department was monitoring the movement of people, particularly those coming from outside, at the checkpots and border areas of the state.

A special team has been formed to monitor such people and alert the administration, Sameeeran said. Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Murugaval has been transferred, police said. In Chennai, BJP state president K Annamalai alleged his party workers were being unnecessarily targeted following the raids against PFI.

''What is the police doing,'' he asked. Indicating the PFI was behind the attacks, he said the Centre and state took action against the outfit in the interest of national integrity and those under the security agencies' lens should prove their innocence in the court.

''Rather, they are unnecessarily targeting the BJP,'' he told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)