Jallikattu violence: A Coimbatore meeting of extremists under scanner

Chennai police commissioner, S George at a press conference said that anti-social and anti-national elements had infiltrated the protests at Marina and caused the violence.

Chennai, Jan 27: The Intelligence Bureau and the Tamil Nadu police are investigating a meet at Coimbatore in October 2016. It is alleged that in this meeting extremist groups plotted to create violence in Chennai and IB believes this may have been the same group that caused the violence at Marina where the Jallikattu protests took place.

Chennai police commissioner, S George at a press conference recently had said that there are vested interest groups acting through anti-social elements. These groups are causing violence, he said. Anti-social and anti-national elements had infiltrated the protests at Marina and caused the violence. The police had no choice but to use force to dispel the crowd he also added while refusing to elaborate on which group was behind the incident.

A meet at Coimbatore under the scanner:

An Intelligence Bureau report submitted to the Tamil Nadu police speaks about a meeting at Coimbatore. Some extremist Left wing outfits, communal groups and members of some political parties held a meeting at Coimbatore three months back. This meeting was held to plan a situation like this the IB states while referring to the violence during the Jallikattu protests.

The police say that the protest was too organised. It is hard to believe that the protesters had gathered in such large numbers after messages on chat groups were circulated. There were arrangements made for food and water and all this was undertaken in a systematic manner, the police adds.

What was more ironic was that the protest turned ugly after the ordinance legalising Jallikattu was promulgated, the police also say. The students were the face of the protest, but behind the scenes there were extremist organisations at work, an IB officer informed.

On January 23, the police reached Marina Beach early in the morning and requested the protesters to leave as the issue had been solved.

Most of the students left, but there was a group that demanded a permanent solution to the issue. Despite requests, they refused to leave the spot and when the police began forcibly evicting them, things turned ugly.

IB officials say that the violence was fuelled by the extremist groups which had planned the incident three months back. Similar groups were also part of the protests and violence at Madurai as well, the officer noted.

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