THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after the Thiruvananthapuram witnessed the late- late clashes, political parties in the Kerala has started blaming each other, with the government and opposition fronts trading charges over the violence involving workers of Congress, CPM and BJP and its affiliate organisations.
The Chief Minister’s Office on Thursday accused the CPM of deliberately provoking Wednesday night’s violence and warned that strong action would be taken against anyone attempting to create an atmosphere of unrest.
The CMO said the Youth Congress protest was directed against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP, and questioned why the CPM was 'upset' when the Congress and its affiliated organisations were protesting against the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.
The CMO alleged that the violence in the capital occurred with the knowledge of the CPM leadership and accused SFI activists of deliberately provoking Youth Congress workers. It alleged that beer bottles and stones were hurled at Youth Congress workers and said the incidents were a continuation of attempts by the BJP and Yuva Morcha to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the state.
The statement also warned that the government would not permit any form of violence and that those attempting to disrupt the peaceful lives of people would face stringent legal action.
The CPM, however, rejected the allegations and turned the charge against the Youth Congress and the police. CPM state secretary M V Govindan alleged that the violence near the University of Kerala men’s hostel at Palayam was a planned attack on SFI activists.
Govindan alleged that Youth Congress and KSU workers deliberately entered the hostel premises and attacked SFI activists.
He claimed that stones and burning torches were thrown into the hostel and accused the police of subsequently targeting SFI workers. He also alleged that police personnel attacked SFI activists, including the SFI state secretary, and demanded action against those responsible.
The confrontation broke out after a Youth Congress-led march to the Accountant General’s office protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Youth Congress workers alleged that stones and beer bottles were hurled at them from the hostel premises. SFI activists, however, claimed that the protesters attacked the hostel and threw burning torches into its premises.
Police intervened and used tear gas and lathicharge to disperse the groups. Separate cases have been registered against activists from both sides.
The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that the violence had spread beyond the SFI-Youth Congress confrontation, accusing Congress workers of targeting its leaders and offices.
BJP national secretary K Surendran alleged that the party’s state headquarters, Mararji Bhavan, was attacked and that former state president P K Krishnadas was also targeted.
Surendran alleged that Congress workers had been targeting Krishnadas for the past few days and linked the latest incidents to the continuing confrontation between the BJP and Congress following the Youth Congress protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Surendran said the BJP would organise protests over the attacks and alleged that the incidents reflected a deterioration of the law-and-order situation.
The Congress, for its part, has also alleged attacks on its offices amid the escalating confrontation. The Thiruvananthapuram DCC office was reportedly targeted, while a Congress mandalam committee office at Anavoor near Neyyattinkara was set on fire.
The latest clashes come against the backdrop of a series of confrontations between the BJP and Congress in the state following the Youth Congress protest against Amit Shah last week. With the CPM, BJP and Congress offering sharply divergent accounts of Wednesday night’s violence, the capital remains the latest flashpoint in the escalating political confrontation.