KANNUR: Six people, including District Congress Committee vice-president Mohammed Blathur, were injured in a political clash between Congress and CPM activists at Kalliad in Irikkur on Wednesday night. According to Blathur, tension prevailed in Kalliyad area after CPM activists manhandled Padiyur Congress mandalam president C Jinesh. “The CPM activists later attacked the protest march held by the Congress. I came to know about the issue while I was returning from Mattannur after an election campaign. I was attacked by CPM activists while I was returning home after rushing the injured ones to hospital. My car was also vandalised and the police team which came to the spot rescued me,” Blathur told ‘Express.’ Both Blathur and Jinesh have been admitted to Koyili Hospital. The other two injured Congressmen are K Vijith and Vishnu Raj.
CPM local secretary B Ramachandran said there was a scuffle between Jinesh and a few activists of the party in the evening. “But tension escalated when Congressmen attacked our members during their protest march and we retaliated. Two of our activists, Siby and Vishnu Raj, have suffered injuries. They have been admitted to a hospital in Iritty,” he said.
DCC president Satheeshan Pacheni condemned the attack on Congress activists. In a statement he said the CPM is behaving like a terror outfit since assuming power in the state. “They are targeting the leaders who are leading election campaigns in Mattannur,” he said. Irikkur MLA K C Joseph, KPCC general secretary P Ramakrishnan and Sajeev Joseph visited Blathur at the hospital. The Irikkur police have recorded the statements of the injured and said a case will be registered against the attackers.