THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Violent incidents were reported from Kerala’s capital early Friday with workers of CPM and BJP attacking party offices and damaging vehicles.
The house of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPM State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also came under attack. BJP alleged that the CPM unleashed attack at the residence of their party workers and even damaged the car of BJP State president Kummanam Rajashekaran. CPM alleged that the attack was pre-planned by BJP to divert the attention from the corruption charges levelled against their leaders. Ten houses, including those of ward councillors belonging to both parties, were vandalised. CITU Manacaud area secretary Shyam, who was injured in the attacks, was admitted into a private hospital. While DYFI Chalai area secretary Unni was manhandled, window panes of CPM area secretary SA Sunder’s house were damaged in stone pelting. A CPM councillor was seen smashing glass with a baseball bat.
Houses of BJP’s corporation councillor SKP Ramesh, Attukal councillor and BJP district secretary Beena and Kalippankulam ward councillor and CPM leader Rasiya Begum were also attacked. Vehicles parked in front of their houses were damaged. A tailor was also manhandled in the melee.
A number of violent incidents were reported between BJP and CPM workers since Thursday night, including attacks on residences of cadres. The BJP State Committee Office was attacked early on Friday.
A CCTV footage showed a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) State Committee member, IP Binu, and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) State Secretary Prajin in the premises at the time of the break-in. Kodeiyeri Balakrishnan said that BJP resorted to violence to divert public attention from the medical college scam involving BJP leaders. BJP leader V Muraleedharan alleged that CPM workers were given free hand by the ruling LDF government to attack BJP workers.
Following policemen standing as mute spectators to the attack on BJP office, City police commissioner R Sparjan Kumar said that two personnel had been suspended from service for their inaction. He said that cases with non-bailable charges were registered in connection with all the incidents and police pickets have been set up in different parts of the state capital.
