Date:10/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/10/stories/2008031053900400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Situation not conducive for all-party meet: VS

Special Correspondent

Says rival sides in belligerent mood
‘Police prevented from searching party offices’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said the situation at Thalassery in Kannur is not conducive for holding an all-party meeting as contemplated earlier.

Mr. Achuthanandan, who arrived here from New Delhi on Sunday afternoon after attending the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central committee meeting, told a news conference that Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who is already in Kannur, had informed him that though there was improvement in the situation, the rival sides were in a belligerent mood. The Director-General of Police (DGP) had also informed him that the rival parties had not allowed the police to search party offices. The Home Minister was sent to Kannur to find ways for an amicable end to the violence through an all-party meet.

The decision on holding the all-party meeting would now be taken after the Home Minister returned to the State capital on Monday morning, the Chief Minister said.

Taking care not to blame the police for the happenings in Kannur, Mr. Achuthanandan said the police were maintaining heightened vigil in the violence-hit areas.

An Inspector-General of Police was camping in the district and the DGP himself had rushed to Kannur on learning about the killings. The police had also taken 59 persons into custody. There was no point in criticising the police without taking into account the state of mind of those engaged in violent acts.

The question whether there was intelligence failure in Kannur would have to be ascertained from the Home Minister, he added.

Attack condemned

The Chief Minister termed “most heinous” the attack on the CPI(M) Central committee office by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists and said it was regrettable that the personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) present on the scene did not do anything to prevent the Yuva Morcha activists from attacking the CPI(M) office.

Their passivity could only mean that the RAF had decided to let the BJP activists behave as they pleased. After attacking minorities, they were now turning against other political parties. Such anti-democratic behaviour could not be condoned, he said.