THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two left parties in Kerala's ruling LDF government - the CPM and the CPI - have come to a direct confrontation over Maoist killings in Palakkad district. Hours after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan justified the encounter, the CPI came down heavily on the police action and demanded a magisterial probe.
Earlier n the morning, CM Vijayan had strongly backed the police in the Assembly, saying they acted in self-defence in the wake of firing from the ultras who were armed with foreign-made weapons like AK47.
Pinarayi said the ongoing magisterial inquiry into the encounter will examine if guidelines laid down by the National Human Rights Commission have been violated. If any lapses are detected, strict action will be taken against those responsible, he said.
“Maoists are trying to undermine the state’s democratic culture and its efficient law and order system. Trained police personnel and Thunderbolt commandos are involved in combing operations in areas where Maoists are present. It is the firing by Maoists on these personnel that led to this unfortunate incident,” Pinarayi said.Pinarayi said it is the Constitutional duty of the elected government to protect the state’s law and order and ensure democratic way of life. The police will have to take action to protect life and property of citizens, the Chief Minister said in the Assembly.
However, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran openly rejected the government's claims, terming it a fake encounter. "According to the information given by our local leaders, they were having food inside the forest when they were shot at close range," said Kanam, who added that the incident occurred within half-a-kilometre of tribal settlements.
Countering Pinarayi's claims, Kanam said Manivasakam, the Maoist who got killed on Tuesday was a medical patient and hence was not in a position to even lift an AK 47. The bullet wound on his head too points to this possibility.
In what could be termed as a direct response to Chief Minister, but without naming him, Kanam said police encounters cannot be justified with 'meaningless arguments'. The CPI state council which came out with a resolution against the Maoist killings on Wednesday, said bullets are not the answer for issues raised by the ultras.
"The CPI does not agree with the politics of Maoists. But the issues that they point out should have political remedies," the resolution said which termed attempts to resolve political issues with weapons is primitive thought.
"If Maoists have camped in Attapady forest areas, they should have been brought before the law. Instead Thunderbolt shooting them down cannot be accepted at any cost. The police cannot implement the punishment. It will lead to sabotaging the rule of law. Even if the Union government prefers such a method, the state police should not follow the same," said Kanam, elaborating on the state council decisions.
The CPI demanded that the government should go for a magisterial probe to bring out the truth behind the incident. The CPI state secretary said the party collected information from its local cadres and leaders, who are of the view that it's a fake encounter.
"The Supreme Court has clearly mentioned about the follow up measures to be taken in the case of encounters. This include magisterial probe. Only after the magisterial investigation can we confirm about the nature of encounter," said Kanam who added that "Police should not be given unnecessary powers."