THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five cases have been registered and two persons arrested in connection with back-to-back attacks on the houses of a Youth Congress and a CPM leader in Alamcode town on Thursday night. As per the sources, the attacks were retaliatory and connected to the protests against the Nava Kerala Sadas.
The house of Youth Congress Attingal mandalam president Suhail Anvar in Alamcode was allegedly attacked by DYFI workers around 9 pm on Thursday. The attack is believed to be in retaliation to the clash between Youth Congress and DYFI workers on Wednesday night after the former waved black flags at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
CCTV visuals showed around 30 armed men arriving the spot in several vehicles and damaging vehicles parked outside Suhail’s. Suhail’s mother, wife, and one-year-old child were in the house at the time of the incident.
The Nagaroor police had provided security to Suhail’s house anticipating violence and the attack took place after the policemen were withdrawn. The police said they have registered a case, but no arrests have been made.
A few hours later, the house of Attingal municipality councillor and local CPM leader A Najam near Alamcode mosque was attacked by suspected YC workers. Window panes of the houses of Najam and his siblings were broken in the attack. Najam’s family alleged the police handled the incident inefficiently. The Attingal police said the incident could be retaliation to the attack on Suhail’s house. They said they had registered four cases and arrested two people.
BJP and Cong forming an anti-Kerala axis, says CM
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday trained his guns on both the BJP and Congress accusing them of forming an anti-Kerala axis.
Speaking at the Nava Kerala Sadas held in Neyyatinkara assembly constituency, the CM accused the Centre of forming an anti-Kerala mentality.
“Some evil minds believe that Kerala should not progress on the development front. An anti-Kerala mentality is taking shape. The BJP-led Central government’s anti-Kerala stance is part of this. If the Centre is not giving the deserving share to the state, how will we progress? This is anti-constitutional, against federal principles and a violation of the state assembly’s powers. That is why the state government approached the Supreme Court,” he said.
The CM accused the Opposition of adopting a negative approach even after the state government requested it to stand united against the Centre’s stance.
“We had told the Opposition that we are ready to discuss issues if there are any. But Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan categorically dismissed it. What is the contentious point on which the Opposition cannot agree with us in countering the Centre’s anti-Kerala position? The Congress is keen not to create any discomfort to the BJP,” he said.
CM: Success of Sadas is unsettling Congress
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has blamed the Congress leadership for instigating its youth wing to disrupt the Nava Kerala Sadas. The CM said he was not surprised by the use of force, considering the stand taken by the Congress leadership. Pinarayi, however, maintained silence when asked about the retaliation by the student and youth wings of the CPM.
When pressed, he said the issue would be taken care of by the police. “Despite the lack of publicity, people’s participation has made the Nava Kerala Sadas a great success. The support, especially of the younger generation, has sent jitters down the spine of the Opposition. So they resorted to strong-arm tactics,” the CM said.
‘CM using Sadas to unleash attack on Opposition’
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for allegedly inciting violence against members of the Opposition party. According to him, the agenda of the chief minister was to attack the Opposition at the Nava Kerala Sadas which is being conducted using public money. “It is an election campaign.
The people, not just the opposition, are allergic to it. The chief minister used 17 venues to say that the Leader of Opposition was not of sound mind. He then expects me to maintain decorum,” said Satheesan responding to the criticism raised by the chief minister. Satheesan also pointed out that even those taken into preventive custody faced attacks inside the police station.