TN BJP condemns govt decision to grant parole to Coimbatore blast convicts

CHENNAI: The BJP on Monday condemned the Tamil Nadu government for granting 60 days’ parole to five life convicts of the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts case, saying the decision was tantamount to selective softness towards convicted terrorists.

Granting extended parole to men who helped plant bombs that tore apart families is an insult to the dead and a betrayal of the living, Tamil Nadu BJP's chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said.

The government's move conveyed to the people of Tamil Nadu that those who waged a war on society can still expect leniency.

"Personal grounds cannot override the gravity of a terror attack that remains one of the darkest chapters in the state’s history. The Tamil Nadu BJP condemns in the strongest terms the TVK government’s decision to grant 60 days’ parole to five life convicts of the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts," he said on X.

Mohammed Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Monappa alias Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Ajam and Nawab Khan were convicted for their role in the coordinated explosions that killed 58 people and maimed over 250 others on 14 February 1998. The blasts, executed by the banned Al-Umma terrorist organisation ahead of an election rally, were a deliberate act of mass murder against civilians. The Supreme Court itself has described this crime as "atrocious" and refused to grant bail to the convicts, he said.

"This decision reeks of selective softness towards convicted terrorists. The memory of the 58 victims and the security of the public demand that this parole be revoked immediately. BJP demands the immediate cancellation of the 60-day parole orders and insists that no further concessions should be extended to Al-Umma convicts in this case," Thirupathy said, citing media reports.

He further said that justice for the victims of Coimbatore cannot be traded for political calculations. "The terrorists must serve their full sentences," Thirupathy stressed.

The five individuals from the Coimbatore Central Prison were granted 60-day parole based on a petition citing personal reasons and their health conditions, as they have already served over 25 to 30 years in prison. An official noted that they had been granted parole earlier, but it was briefly revoked during the Assembly elections.

The decision has sparked political debate, with a TVK legislator, V M S Mustafa, thanking Chief Minister Vijay for ordering the parole.