Chennai, June 19 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP leaders have launched a sharp attack on the ruling DMK government following revelations that four more individuals were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with an ISIS-linked radicalisation and recruitment case centered around an Arabic college in Coimbatore.

State BJP President Nainar Nagenthran expressed serious concern over the development in a post on social media.

He stated, “It is shocking that a place masquerading as an Arabic college was being used to recruit youth into ISIS.”

Nagenthran accused the DMK government of attempting to cover up the 2022 Coimbatore temple blast, initially describing it as a mere cylinder explosion.

“Despite the government’s efforts to trivialise the incident, the NIA has uncovered a deeper terror nexus, arresting eight individuals so far. Coimbatore, once a hub of industry and education, is now turning into a breeding ground for terrorism,” Nagenthran alleged.

The state BJP chief further pointed to a pattern of lawlessness, citing recent incidents such as the desecration of temple idols and attacks on elderly citizens, which he said reflect a worsening law and order situation in the region.

“The so-called Dravidian model has turned Coimbatore into a threat zone,” Nagenthran declared, demanding a detailed response from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s government.

Echoing these concerns, senior BJP leader and former state president K. Annamalai criticised what he termed a “dangerous culture of denial” within the DMK leadership.

“They called it ‘just a cylinder blast.’ Now, it’s been exposed as an ISIS-linked radicalisation network operating under their very nose,” Annamalai said.

He added that the arrest of four more suspects brings the total number to eight, all allegedly connected to the 2022 suicide bombing in Coimbatore.

“When appeasement replaces accountability, national security pays the price,” he warned and added, “Tamil Nadu deserves better.”

The BJP’s remarks come amid intensified NIA investigations in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Coimbatore region, where officials say terror groups have been exploiting religious institutions as cover for radicalisation and recruitment operations.

–IANS

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