Protest raged in Kerala on Wednesday over the brutal murder of 29-year-old Youth Congress leader SP Shuhaib late Monday night at Edayannur near Mattannur in Kannur district, known for its history of murderous political violence which has claimed about 225 human lives in the past five decades.
Speakers at the venue of a 24-hour fast observed by Congress’s Kannur district president Satheesan Pacheni in protest against Shuhaib’s killing attacked the CPI(M) for the politics of murderous violence it is allegedly pursuing in Kerala, especially in Kannur, even as the FIR filed by police confirmed that political enmity was the reason behind the murder.
Alleging that Shuhaib was hacked to death with the knowledge of the CPI(M)’s Kannur district leadership, especially district secretary P Jayarajan who is often described as the chief architect of Marxist violence in Kannur, Congress leader and former MP K Sudhakaran warned the Marxists not to mistake his party’s tolerance as a sign of its weakness.
“The Congress will fight against those who are wielding weapons without weapons. But our tolerance is not a sign of our weakness. We are asking the district police chief to arrest the killers of Shuhaib, whom the CPI(M) killers murdered by hacking 37 times, within 24 hours. If he cannot ensure this he should resign from the job,” Sudhakaran said.
Unleashing a scathing attack on the CPI(M), particularly Jayarajan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, State Congress vice-president VD Satheesan said that the Marxists had formed killer groups in Kannur for murdering political adversaries and that even global terror forces would not be capable of showing the brutality with which the CPI(M) carried out murders.
Wanting to know whether the Chief Minister had prior knowledge about the plan to murder Shuhaib, Satheesan said, “It is obvious that this murder had been carried out on the basis of a clear plan. Mr Vijayan, if this killing had taken place without your knowledge, are you prepared to sack district CPI(M) secretary Jayarajan immediatelyIJ”
Satheesan said, “Even global terror outfits are not known to carry out murders with such brutality.
If the Islamic State terror men come to know of the way Shuhaib was murdered, they would become disciples of the CPI(M). Still, the CPI(M) would say that it has no role in the killing. That is a stock statement.”
Opposition leader in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated the protest fast by the district Congress president in front of the Kannur district collectorate. The fast will conclude at 10.00 AM Thursday. Pro-Congress students’ outfit KSU joined the protest with an education shutdown in the district.
“Shuhaib was hacked to death by the killers after creating an atmosphere of terror by exploding bombs. This is enough ground for slapping provisions of the UAPA against the culprits.
“Why have the police not evoked the provision against them so farIJ” Chennithala asked.
He alleged that Shuhaib was murdered by some CPI(M) men who had been released on parole from jail.
Shuhaib, Youth Congress’s Mattannur block General Secretary, was hacked to death by a four-member CPI(M) killer gang late Monday night while he was having tea at a roadside restaurant at Theroor near Edayannur along with two friends, Riyas (36) and Noushad (28), who also were Youth Congress workers. The Marxist gang had attacked Shuhaib’s friends also.
Though Riyas, Noushad and eyewitnesses had given clear information on the masked killers who had come in a car, the police had not arrested anyone till late Wednesday evening.
The police have so far questioned nearly 30 persons including CPI(M) and CITU workers. Reports said a CITU worker from Chalode, Kannur had been taken into custody.
Shuhaib had invited the wrath of the CPI(M) leadership after he intervened in an issue between KSU and SFI at a local high school.
Participants in a CPI(M) demonstration held two weeks ago at Edayannur had shouted slogans threatening to kill Shuhaib. “Your days are numbered, Shuhaib” was one of the slogans heard on a video of the demonstration.
At the same time, Shuhaib’s father Muhammad confirmed that his son had received death threats from CPI(M) men several times. “He was killed for interfering in an issue related to the KSU. Can a person be killed for such a simple matterIJ” asked Muhammad. Shuhaib’s voice messages indicating that enemies were following him have also come out.