Crude bomb attack on TV channel in Chennai

Chennai, March 12 (IANS) Two tiffin-box crude bombs were hurled at the office of Tamil news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai on Thursday morning. The bombs exploded with a loud noise, but no one was injured nor was any property damaged, police said.

Bomb squad experts and police officials inspected the area soon after the blast.

Police said a person from the Hindu Youth Sena surrendered before a court in Madurai in connection with the bomb attack.

Condemning the attack, the Madras Union of Journalists (MUJ) urged police to take strict action against the attackers so that such incidents do not recur.

Recalling an attack on the channel's journalists by people from some Hindu groups last week while the media was covering a protest, the MUJ said police did not try to prevent the attack which was condemnable.

It said the bomb attack on the channel was a threat to media organisations to deter them from performing their duties fearlessly.

The MUJ also urged the channel management to take legal action and provide security to the people working there.

Tamil Nadu state BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan strongly condemned the attack and said it was unacceptable that the BJP and other Hindu organisations were being blamed for the attack without knowing who the attackers were.

Rama Gopalan, a leader of the Hindu Munnani -- an organisation to promote and develop Hindu religion and culture -- demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Gopalan said police should have taken action against an attack on Daily Thanthi and a threat issued to Dinamalar daily.

Meanwhile, the Hindu Munnani in a letter to the city police commissioner said the tiffin-box bomb could be a ploy to prevent its members from getting bail.

The group urged the police chief to probe the matter and arrest the real culprits.

Recently, Puthiya Thalaimurai had planned to air a programme on the thali or mangalsutra.

The Hindu Munnani planned to protest outside the channel's office against the programme on March 8.

Activists of the group later attacked the channel crew which was to cover the protest. Ten members of Hindu Munnani were arrested.