The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan on Thursday said police did not register its complaint on the petrol bomb issue, and alleged a fair probe was “killed” before it began, setting off the latest flashpoint between the ruling DMK and the Governor.
It further alleged that the police diluted the “attack” as an act of simple vandalism and did not take up detailed interrogation.
A man was arrested for throwing a petrol bomb at a gate of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai. The man had tried to do the same thing outside a BJP office in the city a few months ago.
“Police did not register Raj Bhavan complaint on attack. Suo moto diluted the attack as act of simple vandalism and in a hurry got arrested the accused and remanded (him) to jail at midnight waking up the magistrate and prevented detailed interrogation which could expose those behind attack,” the Raj Bhavan posted on X.
“Fair investigation is killed before it began,” it added.
Ruling DMK’s Law Minister S Regupathy, condemning the incident, underlined that there was no security lapse.
“The Raj Bhavan is well protected. Investigation is underway,” the Minister said denying there was any security lapse.
Vinod, the man who has been arrested, was in jail for eight months for throwing petrol bomb outside the BJP office in Chennai last year.
The Minister expressed suspicion if the man suspected to be suffering from mental health issues “was staged to do this to tarnish the state government’s image”.
Responding to Raj Bhavan’s allegations of filthy abuses by DMK leaders and allies on the Governor, Mr Regupathy said, “We have only responded to Governor’s allegations for people to understand. We never spread hatred against him. It’s the Governor who spreads hatred across Tamil Nadu”.
On Wednesday, the Raj Bhavan said it was “attacked”, and that “miscreants carrying bombs tried to barge in through the main gate”.
In the police complaint it targeted the DMK for what it calls “vicious attacks on the Governor using filthy abuses and wielding threats to his life….by leaders and workers of DMK and allies”.
It added: “These threats are intended to overawe the Governor and restrain his constitutional duties”.
Citing past police complaints, the Raj Bhavan said “complaints lodged with the police have been inconsequential due to police inaction”.
Governor R N Ravi has had a series of tussles with the ruling party from delaying assent for bills passed in the assembly to pushing Sanatan Dharma in his speeches, something perceived in Tamil Nadu as an ideology that promotes caste discrimination and oppression.
RN Ravi had also avoided reading names of leaders including Ambedkar, Annadurai and M Karunanidhi in his official assembly speech and walked out when the house moved a resolution to not record his edited speech.
He had also refused to approve release of life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case despite Tamil Nadu cabinet decision and ultimately the Supreme Court released them using its powers.
He touched a raw nerve when he suggested changing the state’s name from Tamil Nadu to Thamizhagam.
Over the last few days, he returned the state government’s file recommending appointment of former DGP Dr Sylendra Babu as the Chairperson of the state public service commission and was tacitly critical of the state government on celebrating freedom fighters from the state.
“We are in power. There is no need for us to hurl petrol bomb and bring bad name on ourselves. This is a stray incident being probed and this doesn’t mean law and order is bad,” said the Minister.
The issue has given ammo to the opposition.
“This is a big example of deterioration of law and order,” said AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami.
BJP State chief K Annamalai alleged “criminals have taken the streets”.
