COIMBATORE: Almost 19 years ago, BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani's visit to Coimbatore for an election campaign turned into a disaster after 10 bombs exploded killing 58 and rendering nearly 200 injured. An hour before his arrival in the city, Advani had ignored a security advisory to return to Delhi. After the blasts, the strong-willed leader went on to meet the victims.The incident seems to have strongly impacted Advani, as every time he visits Coimbatore, he brings up the issue. The bomb blasts on February 14, 1998, was the only thing he discussed with the party cadre after landing at the Coimbatore airport on Saturday evening,"The incident deeply affected him, and that is the reason he recalls it every time he visits Coimbatore," BJP state general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan told TOI.Between 1998 and 2017, Advani has visited Coimbatore five times. "He came to the city during the first anniversary of the bomb blast in 1999. Then in 2004 and 2011 for Lok Sabha election campaigning," said Vanathi.Along with union minister for state for road transport and highways Pon Radhakrishnan, Vanathi received Advani at the Coimbatore airport. The member of Parliament from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, landed in Coimbatore with his daughter Pratibha Advani, on an Indigo flight from Delhi at 4.45pm. He will be in the city for two days and will be staying at the Isha Yoga Foundation "There are no special activities organised. He will return on Monday afternoon," said Vanathi.About 450 police personnel were deployed on Saturday to ensure security for the former deputy Prime Minister. "Around 200 personnel from the city police and 250 from the district police were part of Advani's security arrangement. A total of 50 city police personnel were deployed at the airport, while the remaining 150 were stationed at different location between the airport and the Chinniampalayam Check Post , covering 3kms of distance. From there, till Isha Yoga Centre, 250 district police personnel were in-charge of the security," a senior police officer said.Advani took a 63kms ride from the Coimbatore airport to reach Isha. He was taken through the L&T Bypass touching Madukkarai, from where the convoy headed to Kovaipudur, then reaching Alandurai via Chettipalayam near Perur.

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