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Police reinforcements to stay in Thalassery

KANNUR: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (BJP-RSS) have assured the State government of cooperation with its initiative to restore peace in violence-affected Thalassery and nearby areas.

He told presspersons after meeting leaders of the two groups separately at the Government Guest House here on Sunday afternoon that peace would be restored in the trouble-torn areas as the two sides expressed their view that violent incidents should not recur. The additional police force deployed in the areas would remain there for a few more days. He said the government would examine separate complaints raised by both the CPI(M) and the BJP-RSS that workers of each were being denied freedom to do political work in areas dominated by the other. He said that normal freedom for political activities would be ensured. The police would continue raids in sensitive areas and there would be no intervention in the day-to-day activities of the police to maintain law and order in the district.

To a question, he said that the attacks on the CPI(M)’s office in New Delhi would in no way be allowed to affect the peace initiative. To another query on the demand for Central forces to contain violence in the district, the Minister said the attack on the party office in the national capital showed that incidents of violence could happen in places where there were central forces. The Home Minister said that he would call leaders of both the parties for a joint meeting. The RSS and BJP leaders told presspersons after their meeting with the Minister that they would not participate in any bilateral peace talks with the CPI(M) initiated by the district authorities or the Home Minister. They would, however, consider their participation if such an initiative was taken by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

The RSS leaders Valsan Thillankery, P.P. Suresh Babu and V. Sasidharan and the BJP leaders K. Ranjith and P.K. Velayudhan met the Home Minister

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