The Chennai police have booked Col. Pandian for making controversial remarks at a protest organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, February 21. He was booked on February 22 for saying that the Tamil Nadu government should not provoke former army servicemen as they are experts in planting bombs, shooting and fighting. The protest was organised by the BJP to condemn the killing of an army jawan named Prabhu (28) by a Darvida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) councillor and his son.
While Pandian has not been arrested yet, the Triplicane police told The New Indian Express that the former army serviceman has been booked under Sections 153 (provocation with the intent to cause riot), 501 (b) (intent to cause fear or alarm to the public), and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
During the protest, Pandian was heard saying that if the state government tests the patience of army officers, the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu will deteriorate. He said, “ I am saying this with love. All our retired servicemen are experts in planting bombs, shooting, and fighting. We know all of these jobs well but we do not intend on doing them. I am warning the Tamil Nadu government to not make us do these jobs.” Pandian went on to call the DMK government a “terrorist group” and called for capital punishment for the perpetrators.
During the press conference after his speech, Pandian got into a fight with the media persons when they asked him why he had made such comments. When asked if he is threatening the Tamil Nadu government, he first claimed it was a warning but later agreed it was a threat.