Why members of BJP & its allies in TN love the ‘Molotov Cocktail’?
Molotov Cocktail is a hand held incendiary weapon, usually a bottle filled with petrol or other easily combustible liquid, with a small cloth on fire which would enable immediate fire. In Tamil Nadu & in India broadly, it is called a petrol bomb. This simple but effective weapon had been a subject of immense connect with the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) & other right-wing organizations in Tamil Nadu. More often than not, there have been incidents involving them and these petrol bombs which are more fancily called Molotov Cocktail. Before getting into that, let us take note of this incident.
On 25th March 2023, a BJP cadre named J Vishwanathan called the Mettupalayam Police Inspector to claim that he was attacked near Tankmedu. According to some reports, a police team rushed to the spot and took J Vishwanathan, who was drunk, to the police station. In the Police interrogation, he stated that he was expecting a party posting in the BJP for the past 4 months and since he didn’t get the post, he staged a drama by burning his own shirt to get the party’s attention.
If you come across this news as an outsider, it might sound bizarre and even crazy. One might wonder why would anybody do that, since the risk of getting caught in the act is almost 100% certain. But this is almost an everyday news for the people of Tamil Nadu. This sort of staged incidents have been a signature for many right-wingers in the state including BJP members and other similar organisations in the state for at least over a decade. The modus operandi has been to stage an attack on self or own property, usually with Molotov Cocktail (locally called petrol bombs), to get attention or police protection or get party post. Below is the compilation of such incidents over the years which are organised from recent to old.
We have written article regarding this in Tamil as well. Click here & here to read in Tamil.
Case 1
Date: March 2023
Place: Mettupalayam
Incident: A BJP cadre burnt his own shirt with petrol and claimed that he was attacked by someone to get attention from the party as he was expecting bigger post.
Case 2
Date: January 2023
Place: Gobi
Incident: Man from “Modi Pasarai” throws a petrol bomb in his own house over a family dispute in an attempt to implicate some of the family members.
Case 3
Date: November 2022
Place: Kumbakonam
Incident: A functionary from Hindu Munnani threw a petrol bomb in his own house just to gain attention towards him and gain popularity.
Case 4
Date: March 2020
Place : Thiruppur
Incident : A Hindu Makkal Katchi leader cut his own hands with the help of his men & claimed that he was attacked by a gang of 6 members.
Case 5
Date: March 2020
Place: Trichy
Incident: A functionary from Hindu Munnani burnt his own bike and pelted stones at his own house to get attention and a bigger post in the party.
Case 6
Date: October 2019
Place: Chennai
Incident: A BJP party functionary called the Police Control Room and threatened that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be killed just like Rahul Gandhi. He claimed that he did it so that Narendra Modi would be given additional security.
Case 7
Date : July 2018
Place : Sholavaram, Thiruvallur
Incident : A Hindu Makkal Katchi leader burns his own car & claims he was attacked with petrol bombs while he was going on his car with a friend.
Case 8
Date : September 2017
Place : Thiruvallur
Incident : A BJP functionary threw a petrol bomb in his own house to divert attention in a dispute over temple properties.
Case 9
Date: October 2013
Place: Coimbatore
Incident : A BJP functionary threw a petrol bomb in his own house to boost his popularity and expected that the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would mention this incident in the election rally that his party functionary’s house was bombed by political opponents.
Link | Link | Link | Archive Link
Case 10
Date: August 2013
Place: Dindigul
Incident : A BJP functionary threw a petrol bomb in his own house to get publicity and get party posting, in addition to getting Police protection.
There could be many more such incidents:
It would be naïve to think that these are the only incidents of such nature by the members of BJP and other right-wing organisations. There could be many more such incidents that have taken place in the state that we might have not covered. If you know similar incidents from the state, please let us know (click here) and we would provide an update below the article.
It is also important to note that a BB Pandian, a retired Colonel & a BJP member, gave bomb threats during a protest in February 2023 and subsequently a case was filed against him. He had tendered unconditional apology to get conditional bail in the case.
#MHC grants conditional bail to Rtd. Colonel BB Pandian after tendering an unconditional apology for his objectionable comments against Tamilnadu Govt at a #BJP meeting and also gives an undertaking that he will not make any such remarks again. @karthickselvaa @mahajournalist pic.twitter.com/8WKjWfdbKv
— Mugilan Chandrakumar (@Mugilan__C) March 27, 2023
