Drunk history-sheeter hurls petrol-filled bottle at Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan: police

Sinha said that Vinodh was drunk when he hurled the bottle at the main gate of Governor RN Ravi’s official residence around 3 pm. It fell near a barricade in front of the gate but failed to burst. He had come walking along Sardar Vallabhai Road, near the highway research centre, the police officer added.

The police who were on duty there caught him and seized two other bottles that he had with him.

Police personnel guard outside the Raj Bhavan after a petrol bomb was hurled outside its main gate, in Chennai, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (PTI Photo)

“No one was injured and there was no damage. In the past, he had indulged in similar acts at a political party office as well as in front of the Teynampet police station,” Sinha said. In February 2022 he was arrested for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the BJP office in T Nagar.

“Once he becomes sober, we will question him for further details. We will invoke appropriate charges and take strict action against him,” he added.

Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the incident reflected the “true” law and order situation in the state. “While DMK is busy diverting the attention of people to insignificant matters of interest, criminals have taken [over] the streets. Incidentally, it is the same person who attacked BJP headquarters in Chennai in Feb 2022 is held responsible for the attack on Raj Bhavan today,” he wrote.

Petrol bombs were hurled at Raj Bhavan today, reflects the true law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. While DMK is busy diverting the attention of people to insignificant matters of interest, criminals have taken the streets.

Incidentally, it is the same person who attacked…

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 25, 2023

The BJP leader insinuated that the DMK government was “sponsoring these attacks” and said that Chief Minister MK Stalin would now be looking “for the next diversion, as he always does”.

Union minister L Murugan said that law and order was in a shambles in the state given “this was the situation for the governor”. “The incident is highly condemnable. The government should not just inquire about the person who hurled the petrol bomb but also those who were behind this act and take stringent action against them. If proper action had been taken last year itself when the attack took place at BJP headquarters, this would have never occurred,” he said.

Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran also condemned the incident and urged the government to ensure stringent action against the offenders.