PALAKKAD: Tit-for-tat attacks between suspected RSS supporters and CPM supporters convulse this town in Kerala on Saturday.
Just a bit after dawn, two headload workers owing allegiance to the trade union CITU were attacked with sharp weapons by men suspected to be RSS supporters in the Kizhakencherry area of Palakkad.
The attack was said to be retaliation for Friday evening’s attack on a local BJP leader named Shibu by CPM activists.
Later in the day, CITU workers hit back by attacking three members of the family of a BJP leader in the same locality, Kizhakencherry.
In the attack on trade union supporters just after dawn, R Vasu, secretary of the Kundukad unit of the Head Load and General Workers Union, and another headload worker, Sudevan, 40, received stab wounds and were admitted in a private hospital in Thrissur.
Vasu was reading a newspaper at his union’s office in Kizhakencherry when the assailants rode up on a motorbike and pounced on him with swords.
There were only three headload workers in the office at that time.
As they left, the assailants flourished their swords to scare away the witnesses.
CPM district secretary C.K.Rajendran and area secretary T Kannan visited the injured men in the hospital. A strong police contingent was camping in the area.
In the reprisal incident later in the day, BMS Vadakkencherry zonal president Ponmala, his wife and son were injured when suspected CPM activists attacked them in their house.
Palakkad superintendent of police Pradesh Kumar visited the spot and took stock of the situation.