KASARGOD: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was in Kasargod on Friday, wanted to visit the houses of slain Youth Congress workers, Kripesh and Sarath Lal, but the Congress was cold towards the idea, said CPM district secretary M V Balakrishnan. “The intention of the Congress is to keep the issue alive till the Lok Sabha elections, he said. That is why it did not want the chief minister to call on the families of the victims,” he said.
Thursday morning, Balakrishnan said, he called district Congress president Hakkim Kunnil, and sought the Congress support in ensuring “an eventless visit” for the chief minister. “We did not want the chief minister’s visit to create more trouble in the area,” he said.
Prior to Balakrishnan, Kasargod Lok Sabha member and senior CPM leader P Karunakaran had also called Kunnil.
“Hakkim told both of us that he would get back after seeking the permission of the Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala. But he did not get back even on Friday, when Vijayan was in the district,” he said.
“Speaking in Kasargod, the chief minister described the two murders “heinous” and said the “thoughtless crimes of a few” brought bad reputation to his government, which was doing a commendable job in maintaining law and order in the state.The Youth Congress workers, however, waved black flags at him at Poinachi, while he was going to Kanhangad,” he said.