Kerala - Kozhikode   

Violence finds echo in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: The political violence that rocked Thalassery and other areas in Kannur in the past few days has had its repercussions in Kozhikode district. Isolated incidents have been reported in various areas, several of them politically sensitive, in the past couple of days.

Untoward incidents were reported in trouble-hit Kattiparayil, near Thamarassery, on Monday and Tuesday. The area has been witnessing a series of clashes between activists of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the combine of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Trouble started when a group, allegedly from the CPI(M), blasted crude explosives inside a public call office run by Mallika Lohitakshan, Mahila Morcha district committee member. Furniture and equipment were destroyed, the police said.

Local people said that they had heard the sound of an explosion at around 3 a.m.

The BJP activists allegedly retaliated by attacking the CPI(M) office in the locality. Office furniture and boards of the party were destroyed.

The flag posts of the CPI(M), the BJP and the Communist Party of India at Chamalil junction were destroyed. The CPI(M) office at Chamalil came under attack.

On Sunday evening, the CPI(M) activists set afire a waiting shed constructed by the BJP at Kallullathottil. The BJP activists retaliated by destroying a martyr’s column of the CPI(M).

Koduvally Circle Inspector K.P. Abdurazak, who holds charge of the Thamarassery Circle Office, convened a meeting of leaders from either party. The police have registered several cases.

Temporary police pickets have been set up. Patrolling has been strengthened.

A tense situation is prevailing in Vadakara following the attack on a BJP office at Adodi on Sunday. The party’s local leaders accused the CPI(M) activists of being behind the attack.

Stones were thrown at the BJP office at the High School junction at Balussery.

Violence followed a march taken out by the CPI(M) at Ulliyeri. The flag posts installed by the BJP and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh were destroyed. This led to a scuffle between the two groups.

The police have been deployed in the area. The house of K. Surendran, State president, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, has been given protection.

The protest rallies, whether by the BJP or the CPI(M), in major towns in the district have given the police a tough time. The slogans raised during some of the marches are provocative, and the police fear that these will vitiate the atmosphere further.

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