After murders, violence grips north Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Violence continued in Mahe (part of Puducherry) and neighbouring Kannur district for the second consecutive day triggered by twin political murders.
A CPI(M) leader was stabbed to death allegedly by RSS men in Palloor on Monday night and a RSS worker was killed in retaliatory attack in New Mahe.
A BJP office and a police jeep were set on fire allegedly by CPI(M) workers after the cremation of deceased leader Babu Kannipoyyil. Later, two shops and a house of CPI(M) worker were attacked by BJP-RSS workers. Police fired grenades at a couple of places to control angry workers. Stray incidents of violence were reported from many areas. Kannur district and neighbouring Mahe had observed a shutdown to protest the latest bout of killings.
After a lull, political violence reared its head again in the north Kerala area notorious for redsaffron clashes.
In the first incident, CPI(M) local leader and former municipal councillor of Mahe, Babu Kannipoyyil, was waylaid and hacked to death by an alleged group of RSS workers.
Within an hour, RSS activist Shamej, 34, was fatally stabbed in retaliation and later succumbed to injuries in a hospital.
Police said that in both cases, criminal gangs reared by political outfits carried out the crime.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, also hailing from Kannur, condemned the incidents. “These killings are unfortunate. I have given instructions to the state police to carry out a thorough investigation and book the culprits,” he said.
However, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan blamed police for the recurring violence. “Police failed to act to avoid such incidents and they have to carry out investigations impartially,” he said.
With Monday’s twin murders, 13 political killings have taken place in Kannur and its surrounding areas since the CPI(M)-led government came to power two years ago.
Of these, in eight cases CPI(M) workers are accused while in four RSS-BJP leaders are in the dock. In one case, workers of the Social Democratic Party of India, the political wing of Popular Front, are the accused.
After the latest round of violence, the strike-ready killer gangs are exposed again in trouble-torn Kannur. After the first murder, the second was committed in less than 45 minutes, shocking even police authorities.
In samurai country (north Kerala is famous for its ancient martial art Kalaripayattu), it is an open secret that party chieftains believe in retaliation and administration-sponsored peace meets are mere interludes to the next bout of bloodshed, say political observers.
These killings are unfortunate. I have given instructions to the state police to carry out a thorough investigation and book the culprits.
P VIJAYAN, Kerala chief minister