After remaining calm for several months, Kerala slipped into political violence amidst the Onam festival with a BJP worker and a CPI(M) activist losing lives in attacks by political enemies in Thrissur and Kasaragod respectively on Friday, the main day of the festival, and violence erupting subsequently in several places in the State in which many activists of the two parties suffered grave injuries.
The Kerala Government, which promised urgent and effective measures to restore calm, suspected that there was a deliberate bid to trigger widespread violence in the State. Police officials expressed apprehension about the possibility of the situation getting out of control in the context of the upcoming local bodies elections in the State.
The BJP on Saturday observed a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the Puthukkad Assembly constituency and Kodakara Panchayat areas in Thrissur district to protest against the violent incident in which its activist Abhilash (31) of Vellikkulangara was hacked to death, allegedly by CPI(M) activists, on Friday afternoon.
Abhilash was attacked at Vasupuram near Vellikkulangara in Kodakara when he was going on a motorbike with a friend, Satheesan. Police said that Satheesan, who was driving the bike, also suffered hack injuries and had been admitted to the ICU of a hospital. In the protests that followed, a CPI(M) office came under attack which led to further tension in the area.
Normal life was thrown out of gear on Saturday in Kasaragod, northernmost district of Kerala, when the CPI(M) observed a day-long hartal to protest against the attack on Friday afternoon in which its activist C Narayanan (45) of Chamundikkunnu, Kodombeloor was stabbed to death, allegedly by BJP workers. His brother C Aravindan also suffered stab injuries in the attack.
The two were attacked at Kayakkunnu, Kanhangad allegedly by three men who arrived on a motorbike. Narayanan died on the spot while Aravindan was battling for his life at the ICU of a Mangalore hospital. Police said that tension had been prevailing at Kodombeloor and nearby places for the past several days.
The police have taken two CPI(M) workers from Vasupuram in connection with the murder of Abhilash. Sources said that seven persons could have taken part in the incident. In Kasaragod, two BJP workers were booked in connection with the murder of Narayanan but the BJP said it had nothing to do with the incident.
The police clamped prohibitory orders on areas in and around Azhikode in politically sensitive Kannur district after violence erupted on Friday night between CPI(M) and BJP activists. Two CPI(M) activists had been admitted to hospital with stab injuries and a BJP worker also suffered injuries in the violence in Azhikode.
Several party offices and a minimum of a dozen houses belonging to CPI(M) and BJP activists came under attack. Police officials said that the area had been witnessing tension in the past several days but they had no clue about the reason for the sudden eruption of violence. The CPI(M) called for a shutdown in the area in protest against the attacks on their men.
Tension prevailed even on Saturday evening in the Kanjiramattam area of Thodupuzha in Idukki district from where two RSS activists were admitted to a Kochi hospital with serious injuries suffered in the violence that had erupted around Friday midnight. The CPI(M)’s area committee office came under attack following the incident. Five CPI(M) men have been booked.
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala expressed the suspicion that the violent incidents taking place in the State since Friday afternoon could have been pre-planned. Requesting the CPI(M) and the BJP to withdraw from the path of violence, Chennithala said that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for the incidents.