TN's Ammapet tense after kerosene bomb hurled at RSS functionary's house

Chennai, Sep 25

Tension gripped the Ammapet area in Tamil Nadu's Salem district after police detained five Muslim youths following an attack on the residence of an RSS functionary.

The incident occurred at 1.45 a.m. on Sunday when a burning kerosene-filled bottle was thrown at the residence of V.K. Rajan, a functionary of the RSS.

The Ammapet police told IANS that immediately after the incident, Rajan filed a complaint, and a police team reached the spot and conducted inquiries. N. Madasamy, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Salem reached the residence of Rajan and conducted preliminary inquiries.

The situation in the area became tense after police took into custody five Muslim youths. According to RSS sources, the attack at Rajan's residence was a retaliation to the arrest of Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders and cadres from the different parts of the country in an NIA raid on Thursday morning.

Police, however, refused to comment on the reasons behind the incident and called upon the people of the area not to indulge in any violence.

R.P. Gopinath, BJP Tamil Nadu state committee member while speaking to reporters at Ammapet called upon the police to immediately arrest the culprits behind the incident. He said that not many people knew of Rajan's association with the RSS, and added that the anti-social elements had garnered information on him and threw kerosene-laden lit bottle at his residence.

Gopinath called upon the police to prevent any untoward incidents in the future and to take stringent action.