KANNUR: From attacks on property to assault, a series of violent incidents rocked different parts of Kannur on Thursday night, a few hours after voting for the assembly elections concluded.
In Payyanur constituency, unidentified assailants attacked the house of one T Purushothaman on the assumption that he worked for former CPM leader and UDF-backed independent candidate V Kunhikrishnan. The assailants allegedly smashed the windowpanes of his house and set fire to his four-wheeler parked on the porch.
Members of his family quickly doused the flames, preventing it from completely engulfing the vehicle and spreading. Purushothaman is estimated to have suffered losses of around Rs 5 lakh. The Payyanur police have registered a a case and launched an investigation.
Kunhikrishnan condemned the incident and termed it a sign of the growing influence of a ‘political mafia’.
“The attackers seemingly assumed Purushothaman supported me during campaigning. It is untrue. He only attended my book release function. In fact, he is a CPM member. We are witnessing the growing influence of a ‘political mafia’ in Payyannur. I mentioned this in my book. More violent things will happen again,” he said.
In another incident in Payyanur, the compound wall of the house of Rekha, a Congress supporter, was allegedly damaged after she allowed the poll graffiti of Kunhikrishnan to be painted on it.
In Mayyil town, the Congress office, Gandhi Bhavan, was vandalised by unknown miscreants in the late hours of Thursday. The attack intensified tensions in the area, with Congress leaders accusing CPM workers of the carrying out the deed. A UDF booth agent, P Bhaskaran, was also assaulted and his house attacked in what appeared to be a coordinated attack.
Kannur DCC president Martin George alleged that the CPM is using gangs out of fear of losing in its strongholds. More incidents of violence were reported in Payyannur and Taliparamba assembly constituencies.
Martin also alleged widespread fake voting in the two constituencies. Citing an example, he alleged that Athira Krishnan, who is in Canada, cast a vote at a booth in Payyanur and that former CPM councillor Pothera Krishnan facilitated it.
“Votes of many people who are currently abroad were cast in a similar manner,” he said, demanding that the Election Commission conduct a proper investigation and take necessary action.