Kozhikode: In a fresh round of political violence in Kerala, a CPM youth activist was attacked with sharp weapons in Palakkad on Thursday. 30-year-old Ratheesh and his friend are in hospital. Ratheesh has named three BJP activists in his complaint to the police.
“The incident happened around 5:30 pm. The complainant says three BJP activists entered his home and attacked him. There was political enmity between them and we are investigating the case,” a police officer said.
Last night, two BJP workers were hurt when a crude bomb was thrown at the party’s office in Kozhikode. Moments later, a CPM office was set on fire in the same area.
The incidents were reported after an RSS member in Madhya Pradesh announced a bounty of one crore on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, holding him responsible for the killing of workers in the state. “The Kerala Chief Minister is killing our RSS workers who want to take this country forward. I will pay Rs. one crore to anyone who beheads him even if I have to sell my house,” Chandravat was seen saying in a video, which went viral.
The RSS or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is the ideological mentor of the BJP, disowned the comments and put out its strong condemnation. “The RSS does not subscribe to any views advocating violence and strongly condemns it,” said a statement.
In recent months, there have been a series of clashes and killings in Kannur, with the RSS and the ruling CPM blaming each other.
According to police sources, over 400 political violence cases in Kannur have been reported since May 2016, around 30 per cent increase in comparison to the last three years. Over 600 CPM, around 280 BJP and 52 Congress activists have been arrested since May 2016.
