WAYANAD: Nearly 14 people, including cops, were injured in Mananthavady on Thursday as a protest march taken out by CPI workers to municipal office was blocked by CPM workers and clashes erupted. Mananthavady principal SI Vinod Valiyattoor and DYFI block president Ajith Varghese were taken to Government Medical College hospital, Kozhikode with serious injuries. The clashes erupted after CPI, an ally in the municipality, questioned the CPM's protective stance towards some of the encroachers, who are big shots.
CPI alleged that the CPM was not vacating the encroachments made by the rich and took out the march to the office. The nearly 20 of the CPI gang was blocked by almost the same number of CPM Men. Police reached the spot to tackle the issue and they were also injured. Later, a larger team od police led by ASP PG. Jayadev reached the spot and dispersed the warring factions. Another protest march to the municipal office has been called by the CPI on Friday in protest against the attack by CPM workers.
