Kannur: The district administration has called in more police forces as CPM and BJP workers continued attacks on each other’s houses and offices for the second consecutive day on Sunday.
Violence involving the two parties were reported from other parts of the state as well, despite home minister Ramesh Chennithala’s warning of stern action against troublemakers. The house of BJP Kannur district president K. Ranjith and the houses of two CPM workers came under attack. The police has so far registered 26 cases in connection with the violence in Kannur - 16 against the BJP and ten against CPM workers.
District collector P. Balakiran has issued prohibitory orders in Azhekode. “We have asked for additional police forces. We have already deployed our forces in the violence-hit regions,” he told DC. “We are also planning to bring in more forces from neighbouring districts.” At Chavassery, a CPM worker’s house was ransacked, and the women inside the house allegedly harassed. Five of them, including a pregnant woman, were admitted to a hospital. Assailants who came on two wheelers hurled country bombs at the house of Mr Ranjith around 1.30 am on Sunday. Nobody hurt in the attack. In retaliation, BJP activists reportedly carried out attacks on the houses of CPM activists at Azhikode and Chavassery. Police has made no arrests so far. “We are trying to arrest the assailants. There was no major case of violence reported today. However, attacks on houses have been reported,” Kannur DySP K. K. Moitheenkutty told DC. Senior leaders of both parties who visited the houses accused each other of perpetrating violence.
Soon after the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the CPM in Kasaragod district in protest against the murder of a party worker, on Sunday the political conflict between BJP workers and CPM workers continued. In a similar conflict that occurred at Kolavayalil, in Kasargod, four CPM workers were attacked and seriously injured.
Those stabbed during the conflict has been identified as Shiju, Sreeraj, Ratheesh and Sreejith, in which one is admitted with serious injuries. It was at around 5.30 pm when the conflict started when the CPM workers tried to disturb the arrangements of a public program organized by BJP workers, said sources here.
