Kerala - Kozhikode   

Clashes leave Balussery tense

Kozhikode: A tense situation prevails in Balussery in the district following clashes between activists of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the past couple of days.

Several persons belonging to both the groups have been injured in the series of clashes. In the latest incident, the area committee office of the CPI (M) was attacked, allegedly by BJP workers, in the early hours of Tuesday. The attackers also hurled country-made bombs at a police team that attempted to thwart the attack on the office.

No casualty has been reported. Two BJP activists were taken into custody in connection with the attack, the police said.

Meanwhile, the BJP observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the Balussery Assembly constituency on Tuesday in protest against the attack on the offices of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP on Monday. No untoward incidents were reported during the hartal period.

However, shops and commercial establishments at Nenmanda, Kakoor, Chelanoor and Cheekilood remained closed.

The situation in the town and adjoining areas remains volatile after the CPI (M) workers took out a march in the evening against the attack on its area committee office. A large posse of policemen has been deployed to avert further clashes. Vadakara Superintendent of Police K. Natarajan and Thamarassery Deputy Superintendent of Police C.T. Tom are camping in the area.

Clashes erupted in Balussery after three CPI (M) activists were assaulted at Thiruthiyad on Sunday night. The injured were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital here.

The CPI (M) had called a hartal on Monday in protest against the incident.

The protesters then attacked the BJP and RSS offices during the hartal. Two BJP activists waiting at a bus stop were also attacked. The police had to resort to lathi-charge and fire teargas shells to disperse a violent mob that gathered in the town.

The BJP-CPI (M) clashes started from a youth festival at the higher secondary school at Kokkallur last week. Two houses of CPI (M) activists and the house of a BJP worker were attacked after the incident.

District CPI (M) leaders allege that the BJP and RSS were behind the violent incidents at Balussery. They have demanded that the culprits be brought to book.

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