Kannur: An all-party meeting convened by Kannur district collector Mir Muhammed Ali on Saturday decided to ensure peace in the district which has been hit by violence following the hartal on Thursday. Prominent leaders of BJP and CPM participated in the meeting. Both camps have decided to end all protest marches in the district for two days and asked the local leaders to ensure peace in the respective regions. They promised to support the district administration's efforts to normalise the situation.
Those who attended the meeting included CPM district secretary P Jayarajan, state committee member K.P. Sahadevan, district secretariat member N. Chandran, BJP district president P Sathyaprakash, RSS district Sahakaryavah K. Pramod and district superintendent of police G. Shiv Vikram.
Bombs hurled: The houses of prominent BJP and CPM leaders came under attack on Friday night. Country bombs were hurled at the houses of DYFI leader A.N. Shamseer at Madapeedikayil, former CPM Kannur district secretary P. Sasi at Thalassery and the ancestral house of BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member V. Muraleedharan at Vadiyilpeedika.
An office of the CPI also was attacked by goons. The police conducted a route march at Thalassery and deployed more forces.
A two-member gang, which came on a bike, hurled bombs at the house of Mr Shamseer by 10 p.m. He was not at home and none of his relatives were injured. The police have provided security to the house.Hours later, the ancestral home of Mr Muraleedharan was attacked. Mr Shamseer alleged that RSS goons had hurled bombs at his house. "It is a planned attempt to trigger communal riots in the state," he said and added that the incident took place when the RSS and CPM leaders were attending a meeting called by the district police chief to end the violence. "There was violence only in a small area which would have ended with the positive intervention by the leaders of both camps," he added.
Mr P. Sasi was not present when his house near Thalassery court was attacked. A CPM worker V.K. Vishakh, 28, who was hacked by unidentified assailants at Iritty, was hospitalised with minor injuries.
A total of 33 persons were arrested in the district in connection with the violence. But none of those involved in the attacks on the houses were arrested so far.
An RSS office at Cheruthazham near here was set ablaze by miscreants who also attacked the house of prominent RSS leader Kolakkattil Chandrasekharan. The attacks on the houses of CPM leaders were considered to be in retaliation for the attack on his house.
CPM Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan told reporters that his party stood for peace in the region. He also urged the workers not to attack the houses of rivals.
BJP district president Sathyaprkash told reporters that none of the RSS-BJP workers were involved in any attacks. He blamed the CPM for the violence.
The police have decided to intensify the security in the region. A huge posse of police headed by district police chief Shiv Vikram is camping at Thalassery. The policemen on leave have been asked to join duty.
