Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar links the Mangaluru auto blast to the Coimbatore car blast which took place this year.
Talking to the media K Sudhakar said, “A couple of months ago, a similar incident took place in Coimbatore which was also planned near a temple. This person Md Sharik (Mangaluru blast accused) went there and met a person in Coimbatore. The police have also traced his movements over the last two months.”
“Every angle and aspect is being probed in the matter. We are also trying to find out if he had any connection with international terrorist organizations, banned organizations, or sleeper cells that may be active in the area. Our concerns stem from the fact that we are a state bordering Kerala,” Sudhakar added.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Health Minister called this incident a “dastardly act of terror and violence” and assured that culprits will be nabbed soon.
“The accused (in the Mangaluru blast) was traveling in an auto-rickshaw, posing to be a Hindu and carrying a fake Aadhar card. Police have identified him as Mohammad Sharik from Shivamogga. He was wanted by the police,” Sudhakar said.
Moreover, supporting the remarks of BJP state chief K Annamalai Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Karu Nagarajan said, “There is a link between the Mangaluru blast and the Coimbatore blast as said by our state president Annamalai. The incident in Coimbatore was initially played down by the state (TN) government and it termed it a mere car accident. But the Karnataka government is pursuing the Mangaluru case in right earnest and an investigation by the NIA (National Investigation Agency) was already underway.”
Taking to Twitter Annamalai tweeted, “After the @arivalayam govt came to power, state intelligence is under deep hibernation, & TN is becoming a haven for terrorists. The Initial probe of the Mangaluru bomb blast revealed that the terrorist HM Shariq assumed a fake identity & stayed in Coimbatore this September.”
“The Tamil Nadu’s BJP has emphasized from day 1 that the Kotai Eswaran blast (Coimbatore bomb blast) was an “Act of Terror” while the TN govt continues to be in a state of denial. Shariq’s Coimbatore stay raises serious doubts about his connection to TN terror modules operating with impunity,” Annamalai said.
Earlier on 10 November in connection with its ongoing probe into the Coimbatore car blast, the NIA conducted searches at 45 locations in Tamil Nadu.