Cong’s bandh over workers’ murder affects normal life
KERALA TENSE High court summons youth Cong chief for calling flash strike without notice
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress on Monday called for a 12-hour bandh in Kerala to protest against the killing of its two workers in the state’s Kasargode a day earlier. The shutdown affected normal life in the state even as the high court took strong objection to hartal and summoned senior Congress leaders.
A group of Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) workers allegedly waylaid and hacked Youth Congress workers Kripesh, 21 and Sharth Lal, 24, to death when they returning to their homes in Periya village.
State Congress chief Mullappally Ramachandran blamed CPI (M) activists for the murders even as the ruling party denied any involvement. He cited eyewitness accounts and said Kripesh and Sharth Lal’s were “well-planned and executed political murders”. “It is sad the party still feels it can silence its political opponents by annihilating them,” said Ramachandran, who suspended his engagements and rushed to Kasargode.
Northern range IG Balramkumar Upadyaya said they sus- pect the murders could have been a fallout of “skirmishes” between the Congress, which is the state’s main Opposition party, and CPI (M) workers a couple of days back. Two weeks back, CPI(M) Periya branch secretary P Peethambaran and two other workers were injured in a clash with Congress workers.
Initially, Congress called a district shutdown but later decided to extend it to the whole state. Except stray incidents no major violence is reported from the state. All educational institutions remained closed and all offices reported thin attendance. Large crowds of stranded passengers were visible in railways stations and bus terminals.
But the HC took strong objections to the hartal without notice terming it a contempt of court. Fed up with recurring shutdowns last month the HC had banned flash hartals, making it mandatory for any organisation or party to issue a notice for a bandh at least seven days in advance.
The court has summoned Youth Congress state president Dean Kuriakose and other UDF leaders on Friday. The court also directed the state government to take measures to open educational institutions and resume public transport and instructed media not to give undue coverage to hartal reports.
Ramesh Cheniithala, the leader of Opposition in the state assembly, echoed Ramachandran and said it is sad the ruling party is “systematically annihilating” political opponents. “The CPI (M) will have to pay a heavy price for its politics of dagger,” said Chennithala.
The CPI (M) blamed “some personal enmity” between two groups for the killings. In a statement, the party said it cond e mned the killings and demanded a high-level probe to book the real assailants.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the murder. “Congress stands in solidarity with the families of these two young men & I send them my deepest condolences. We will not rest till the murderers are brought to justice,” he tweeted.