Coimbatore blasts: BJP slams Vijay government over 60-day parole for convicts, demands reversal

The BJP described the decision as “selective softness towards convicted terrorists”, arguing that the grounds cited for granting parole were inadequate given the scale and severity of the attacks, which killed 58 people and injured more than 250 others.

The five convicts granted parole are Mohammed Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Monappa alias Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Ajam and Nawab Khan.

They were convicted for their roles in the serial blasts linked to the banned Al-Umma organisation.

BJP says parole insults blast victims

Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson Narayan Thirupathy condemned the decision in a post on X, arguing that personal circumstances could not outweigh the seriousness of the crime.

“Personal grounds cannot override the gravity of a terror attack that remains one of the darkest chapters in the state's history,” he said.

Thirupathy pointed out that the blasts were carried out ahead of a rally addressed by senior BJP leader LK Advani and described the attack as a deliberate act of mass violence against civilians.

He also referred to the Supreme Court's observations on the case, saying the court had described the crime as “atrocious” and refused to grant bail to the convicts.

Health, personal reasons cited for parole

According to the grounds cited by authorities, the convicts were granted temporary release due to personal circumstances and health conditions.

They have also spent approximately 25 to 30 years in prison, officials said, as reported in the supplied account.

The BJP, however, argued that these considerations did not justify granting them a 60-day break from prison.

Thirupathy said the decision was an “insult to the dead and a betrayal of the living”, adding that it risked sending the wrong message about the treatment of those convicted in terror-related cases.

BJP demands immediate cancellation

The Tamil Nadu BJP has demanded the immediate cancellation of the parole orders and opposed any further concessions to the five convicts.

“Justice for the victims of Coimbatore cannot be traded for political calculations. Terrorists must serve their full sentences,” Thirupathy said.

The party maintained that the security concerns and the suffering of victims' families should remain central to any decision involving the convicts.

1998 Coimbatore blasts: What happened?

The Coimbatore serial blasts took place on February 14, 1998, when 12 explosions struck the city ahead of an election rally at which LK Advani was scheduled to speak.

The attacks were widely viewed as a coordinated attempt to assassinate the BJP leader.

The blasts killed 58 people and left more than 250 injured, making the incident one of the deadliest episodes of political violence in Tamil Nadu's history.