Union min must face probe for jibe on Tamils over B’luru blast, says HC

In a significant move, Madras High Court Justice G Jayachandran, on Wednesday, 10 July refused to stay the investigation against Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje in a case for her comments linking Tamilians to the Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast.

Earlier, a case was registered by Madurai police for her comments linking people from the state to the bomb blast in Rameshwaram Cafe. Refusing to stay the investigation, the judge ordered a notice to the Prosecution and sought case records.

In a stinging attack on Tamil Nadu during the days leading up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje alleged that “people from Tamil Nadu planted a bomb in Bengaluru cafe.” Her statement came on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Tamil Nadu addressing election rallies.

After massive backlash, Shobha had retracted her statement and issued an apology.

On 19 March, BJP leader and Union Minister of State (MoS) Shobha Karandlaje ignited a fresh controversy by claiming people who planted bombs at the Rameshwaram cafe were trained in Tamil Nadu, referring to the bomb blast that shook Bengaluru and left ten people injured.