CHENNAI: The Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) cadres were still being targeted by the Tamil Nadu Police on Monday over the purported Molotov cocktail attacks.

This comes a day after DGP C. Sylendrakumar ordered district police heads and commissioners to take harsh action against anyone disturbing the peace.

The police have started a crackdown after incidences in which suspects riding motorbikes threw burning bottles filled with gasoline and kerosene at the homes, businesses, and offices of RSS, BJP, and local leaders after the NIA detained PFI leaders and members on September 22.

The attack on RSS Salem Town Functionary V.K. Rajan's home with a petrol bomb resulted in numerous people being detained by the police on Sunday, including Syed Ali (42) who is the SDPI's Salem district president. The accused was caught on camera throwing a blazing bottle filled with kerosene at Rajan's home around 1.40 a.m. on Sunday, and the police responded by taking appropriate action. The other person detained in the case was K. Khadeer Hussain, the SDPI ward president in Salem. They were both brought before the magistrate and placed in judicial custody.

Police in Erode also detained four SDPI members after a Molotov cocktail attack on V. Dakshinamoorthy, an RSS employee, and his furniture store. Sadam Hussain, Khalil Rahman, A. Jaffar, and A. Ashik are among those detained.
The Tamil Nadu Police were conducting raids at several residences of people affiliated with the PFI and SDPI after the DGP's directive to the SPs and Commissioners, warning of serious consequences against the violent offenders and stern action would be taken against them, including invoking the National Security Act (NSA). From Coimbatore, the Molotov cocktail attacks have now expanded to Erode, Salem, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Kanniyakumari, and several areas of Chennai, including Tambaram. The police have been ordered to pursue individuals responsible for the violence with vigour.

The district superintendents and commissioners of police have been instructed to arrest local leaders as well as district-wise leaders of both organisations if it is discovered that they were involved in conspiracies in these Molotov cocktail attacks. The state intelligence was also providing appropriate inputs on the violent offenders.
In the meantime, BJP state president K. Annamalai said that the Tamil Nadu Police was at its worst and that its hands had been constrained for the previous 15 months. He declared that despite the cowardly Molotov cocktail attacks, the party would not be intimidated.

The BJP state president also announced that the party has formed four fact-finding teams to investigate the harm done to party workers' homes, businesses, and offices. The committees' recommendations would be incorporated into a report that will be given to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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