Over 1,300 workers belonging to different Hindu outfits and BJP were arrested today when they attempted to pay homage to the victims of the serial bomb blasts which occurred on this day in 1998.

BJP organised a homage meeting at R S Puram, some distance from where the first three blasts occurred on February 14 in 1998 before the party senior leader L K Advani was scheduled to address an election meeting. A total of 58 persons were killed in the serial blasts.

As a mark of respect, BJP and likeminded organisations defied a ban to organise meetings and assembled at the venue to pay homage, by erecting a temporary pandal, placing a photograph of Bharath Matha, police said.

Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan addressed the workers. As workers started paying homage, police arrested nearly 1,050 workers, including 186 women, they said.

Similarly, various organisations like Bharath Sena and Ramasena also organised such homage meetings in different parts of the city and police arrested about 200 persons, police added.

All the arrested were released late in the evening.