MALAPPURAM: Political violence has returned to Unniyal, a coastal village near Tirur in the district, after a gap. Twelve CPM men were injured in an attack allegedly by a group of Muslim League workers who also damaged several vehicles on Monday. The incident took place around 4 a.m. at a local playground where a football tournament has been underway for the past few days. It was being organised by a local sports club run by the CPM workers.
The CPM men were sleeping on the ground guarding equipment set for the tournament. The miscreants also damaged two cars, four autos and two bikes. The injured were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College and Tirur district hospital. According to the CPM local leadership, around 40 League men attacked the CPM men without any provocation to create tension in the area. The CPM observed a day-long hartal in Niramaruthur panchayat protesting against the attack.
The police brought the situation under control. Around 150 personnel, including armed police, from the Malabar Special Police and AR camps in Palakkad and Malappuram, were deployed in the area. “The police have launched a hunt for the attackers who went absconding. The clash was political,” said Mr A.J. Babu, DySP of Tirur who is camping in the area along with Tanur Circle Inspector Alavi. The area has witnessed a series of attacks between the two political parties during the past nine months.
