Even as the government is determined meet the Secretariat blockade of the LDF with an iron hand, two companies of the Border Security Force(BSF) reached here on Saturday morning and are awaiting orders on deployment in the border region of the district. Official sources said another company of the Central Force is expected to reach here shortly. The Central Force has been deployed in the district, is the biggest CPM citadel in the state, as part of the government strategy to stop the participants of the Secretariat blockade stir on their way.
Commandant K Chandran, a native of Kerala, is leading the two companies of the BSF from Bangalore, who are now sheltered at the KAP IV Battalion camp. Besides, the entire police team in the district has also been placed on alert to meet any eventuality.
The deployment of Central forces in the district here to deal with tough political situations is not a new phenomenon. Earlier, the government had called in the Central forces in view of the reports that the CPM was plotting to rig the byelections in the Koothuparamba and Azhikode constituencies here using muscle power and undemocratic means. But despite the presence of the Central Force in the area, the poll results favoured the LDF. When contacted, the District Police Chief said that no decision had been taken yet on the deployment of the BSF companies in the district. He was also tight-lipped on the plan concerning the deployment of the force.
He also replied in the negative when asked whether any of the LDF workers were detained as part of the measures to prevent them from taking part in the blockade. A meeting of senior police officials also was held on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, CPM district secretary P Jayarajan said that the movement of the LDF workers could not be stopped even if the Army was deployed in the district.
He said that as many 6,000 partymen from the district would participate in the Secretariat blockade. The government cannot curtail people’s freedom of movement and there is no question of stopping the party workers from the starting point, he said.