Political clashes are back in Kannur

KANNUR: With the BJP all set to observe the martyrdom day of Yuva Morcha leader K T Jayakrishnan in a big way, the political unrest has started creating tension in many parts of the district. The event is planned with the clear agenda of taking on the CPM in the backdrop of the recent murders including that of the RSS leader Manoj.
In the last couple of weeks, many attacks and counter attacks were reported from many parts of the district, especially from places surrounding Panoor and Koothuparamba.Though police have arrested some people from the BJP and the CPM in connection with the attacks, tension still prevails in many places thus leading to the anxiety that it might spread to other places too as in the past.
On Wednesday, 11 houses were attacked in Poyiloor alone while in Cheruvancheri, the condition was more or less the same for the past few days. In the last two months, more than 60 cases were reported from Panoor and surrounding areas.
Though the blame game continues between the BJP and the CPM , the political unrest has forced the police to deploy additional forces including the Rapid Action Force in these localities.
The CPM alleged that the BJP and the RSS have unleashed violence in many places taking advantage of the political scenario after the party came to power at the Centre.
The CPM secretariat accused that they had opened offices in some BJP strongholds like Cheruvancheri, which led to the intolerant response of the BJP thereby resulting in the current clashes.
“In the recent past, many people had left the BJP and joined the CPM, which has irked the party leadership, and the RSS has tactically planned the attack against the CPM and its establishments and workers,” alleged the party in a statement, which also blamed the state government accusing it of failing to curtail such developments.
“Every year, during this season the CPM unleashes attacks against the BJP and this year it has increased considerably because they are upset about many of their workers joining our party,” said BJP district president K Ranjith. “But the police are always protecting the CPM despite our complaints,” he added.
But what is strange this time is that some Congress workers were also attacked and the shop of a Congress worker was set ablaze at Pathikkal near Panoor on Thursday, allegedly by the BJP workers. This has given a new political dimension to the clashes as the Congress is no way party to such clashes in these areas.