Police open fire as hartal turns violent

By Our Staff Reporter

KANNUR, DEC. 3. The 12-hour district hartal called by the CPI(M) to protest against the attack on the party district secretary, Mr. E.P. Jayarajan, and Ms. K.K. Shylaja Teacher, MLA, was marred by violence, arson, and bomb-throwing leaving several party workers injured and party offices destroyed. At one point, the police opened fire in the air to disperse a violent mob.

The entire Panur area remained tense as rival party workers carried out attacks on offices and buildings controlled by rival parties by throwing bombs and setting them ablaze. As violence continued unabated, prohibitory orders were clamped for one week beginning 6 p.m. today on the Panur sub-division under Sections 21 and 23 of the Kerala Police Act and Section 144 of the Cr.PC.

The hartal drew mixed response. While shops and business establishments remained closed for the weekly holiday today, roads wore a deserted look as vehicles kept off the road.

Rival party workers went on a bomb explosion-spree in the Panur area following reports of attack on the vehicle of Mr. Jayarajan at Makkoolpeedika. The BJP's Peringalam mandalam committee office and the RSS office near Panur were damaged last night. The BJP local office at Makkoolpeedika also came under attack by CPI(M) workers.

A police team headed by the Taliparamba Dy.SP, Mr. S.P. Janardhanan, opened five rounds of fire in the air to disperse a mob at Pathayakunnu at 12-30 p.m. Two CPI(M) workers, P. Rajan (31) and C. Ranil (21), were attacked near Pathayakunnu earlier. In another incident near Kizhakke Kathirur at around 11 a.m., a CPI(M) worker, Ajeesh (21), was injured when BJP-RSS workers threw a country bomb on a CPI(M) jatha.

At around the same time, the CPI(M)'s area committee office at Panur was attacked with bombs by BJP-RSS activists. Three CPI(M) workers, Mahesh (26), Binduraj (28) and Gigesh (24), who suffered serious injuries in the attack, were rushed to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

A CITU office also came under attack. According to reports, the deserted Panur bus stand area witnessed a series of bomb explosions. A BJP worker, Santhosh (24), who was stabbed at Vattipram under the Koothuparamba police station limits at around 5 p.m. by CPI(M) workers was also rushed to the MCH. Two more BJP workers, K.M. Shaijesh (23) and Shanith (20), also suffered injuries in separate incidents.

Three CPI(M) workers suffered burn injuries in a bomb attack by BJP-RSS workers at Pathipalam near Panur at 11 a.m. today. The injured, E. Sajeevan (22), M. Prakashan (26) and K. Aneeshan (21), have been admitted to the Thalassery Cooperative Hospital. A CPI(M) sympathiser and autorickshaw driver, Jayakrishnan (25), was beaten up at Moonampeedika under the Koothuparamba police station limits this morning by suspected BJP workers. He was admitted to the Government District Hospital here. In another incident, the CPI(M)'s branch committee office at Varapram near Panur also was attacked by BJP-RSS workers.

The CPI(M) branch committee office at Palakkool and the nearby Sree Narayana Madhom under the Panur police station limits were set ablaze by BJP-RSS workers late last night. A two- storeyed building, AKG Mandiram, housing the party Puthur local committee office and Patyam Gopalan Memorial Library and Reading Room, was completely destroyed by assailants.

Senior police officers including the DIG (Northern Range), Mr. M.N. Krishna Moorthy, and the SP, Mr. S. Gopinath, were camping in the area. Large contingents of police personnel, including KAP, MSP, SARAF and Kozhikode City Armed Reserve Police units were deployed in the area.

The CPI(M) State secretariat has strongly condemned the bomb attack on its leaders on Saturday. It's a calculated move to disturb peace in the State, it said.

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