The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to grant 60 days' parole to five life convicts of the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts case, has received backlash from BJP and triggered a row in the state.
Tamil Nadu BJP's chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said that granting parole to men who helped plant bombs that tore apart families is an insult to the dead and a betrayal of the living. He added that the decision shows the government’s “one-sided lenient approach” towards convicted terrorists.
In a post on X, Thirupathy said, “Granting long-term parole to those involved in the bombing incident that shattered many families is not only an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives but also a grave betrayal to the survivors.”
“It sends the wrong message to the people of Tamil Nadu that those who wage war against society can also be shown mercy. Before the brutality of this terrorist attack, which is considered one of the darkest chapters in the state's history, personal reasons can never take precedence,” he added.
He added that BJP insists the revocation of the parole order immediately and hopes that no concessions are granted to convicts involved in this case.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party insists that this 60-day parole order be revoked immediately and that no further concessions of any kind be granted to the 'Al-Umma' convicts involved in this case.”
The BJP leader stressed that the terrorists must fully serve the sentences imposed on them as he said, “Justice for those affected by the Coimbatore bombing incident can never be compromised for political self-interest. Terrorists must fully serve the sentences imposed on them.”
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What happened in Coimbatore bomb blasts case
As many as 58 persons were killed and 250 had suffered injuries when 19 bomb explosions rocked Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu between February 14 and 17, 1998.
The improvised explosive devices, with time delay mechanisms, had been placed in cars, two-wheelers, abandoned bags, push carts, tea cans and so on. SA Basha and Mohammed Ansari, leaders of Muslim militant organisation Al-Umma, were the prime convicts in the case.
“Mohammed Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Monappa alias Mohammed Hasan, Mohammed Azam, and Nawab Khan were convicted as guilty. Planned and executed by the banned 'Al-Umma' terrorist organization ahead of an election campaign rally, this attack was a brutal massacre against innocent people. The Supreme Court itself described this act as "most heinous" and refused to grant bail to these convicts,” Thirupathy said on X.
Of the 166 accused in the case, the trial court in August 2007 pronounced 69 persons guilty of different offences. In December 2009, the Madras high court upheld the convictions of 18 people – 17 life terms and one 13-year term – in the case.