Sabarimala row: Violence in Kannur, Centre seeks state’s report

In Delhi, the BJP alleged that the violence was unleashed by the LDF government and warned that the state government and the CPI(M) would “face consequences under constitutional provisions.”

“This an issue of devotees, an issue concerning Hindu society… Instead of dealing with the matter in a sensible way, the state government has wreaked havoc, resulting in injuries to a lot of devotees and the death of a devotee,” BJP spokesperson GVL Rao said at a press conference in the party head quarters.

“We want to warn, advise and caution the Kerala government to stop this state sponsored violence forthwith,” he said.

Kannur district, which has been tense since the Wednesday hartal called by the Sabarimala Action Council, backed by the BJP, over the entry of women into Sabarimala, stayed tense with attacks and counter-attacks by cadres of the CPI(M) and the RSS.

On Thursday night, a bomb was hurled at the house of a local CPI(M) leader in Thalasery. The following night, a local leader of the DYFI, the youth outfit of the CPI(M), was stabbed at Iritty in Kannur district, allegedly by members of the RSS-BJP on Friday night.

Late Friday night, the houses of BJP Rajya Sabha member V Muraleedharan, BJP Kannur district secretary N Haridas and district-level RSS leader C Chandrasekharan were attacked. Bombs were also hurled at the houses of CPI(M) legislator A N Shamseer and former district secretary P Sasi. A local office of the RSS was set on fire at Cheruthazham in Kannur early Saturday morning.

On Thursday night, a bomb was hurled at the house of a local CPI(M) leader in Thalasery.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped for three days in Adoor taluk in Pathanamthitta district, where the temple is located and where a BJP worker died during the violence on Wednesday. At Perambra in Kozhikode, a bomb was hurled at the house of a local CPI(M) leader.

DGP Loknath Behera told the media that police have been maintaining high alert in Kannur, where 169 cases have been registered and and 230 people arrested. The DGP said 1,286 cases have been registered across the state in connection with the violence reported during the hartal. So far, 3,282 persons have been arrested, with 487 of them in judicial custody.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the Sangh Parivar attacks “pre-planned” and intended to “shatter the peaceful situation prevailing in Kerala”. The government would effectively deal with the Sangh Parivar violence, he said.

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam tweeted that he has briefed Union Home Minister Singh about the law and order situation in Kerala over the last two days.