Kerala: CPI(M) worker seriously injured while making bomb in Kannur

A CPI(M) worker, Vipin Raj, was seriously injured in a bomb explosion while allegedly making it in Kannur's Pinarayi area. Police say he is an accused in multiple criminal cases. The blast site is near CM Pinarayi Vijayan's residence.

CPI(M) worker injured in bomb-making blast

A CPI(M) worker was seriously injured after a bomb exploded during its manufacture in Venduttayi, Pinarayi area of Kannur district, Kerala, on Tuesday, police said.

The injured has been identified as Vipin Raj, a CPI(M) activist who reportedly sustained severe injuries to his palm in the blast.

According to police, the explosion occurred near his residence while the bomb was being prepared, causing panic among local residents. Following the incident, Vipin Raj was rushed to a private hospital in Chala, Kannur, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Accused in multiple criminal cases

Kerala police confirmed that the blast site is located approximately five kilometres from the residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Officials said a detailed investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances leading to the explosion and to identify whether others were involved in the bomb-making activity. Police officials further revealed that Vipin Raj is an accused in multiple criminal cases, including a previous incident involving the bombing of a Congress party officer near a canal in the region. His alleged involvement in the earlier cases has raised serious questions over the continued use of crude explosives in Kannur.

CM Vijayan opposes Centre's move to rename MGNREGA

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday strongly opposed the Centre's proposal to rename MGNREGA, saying that the bill seeks to "undermine the very foundational objectives" of the employment guarantee scheme.

In a post on Facebook, Vijayan said the Centre's move to rename MGNREGA as VB-G RAM G -- Viksit Bharat: Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) reflects the "Sangh Parivar's ideological hostility" towards Mahatma Gandhi and the values associated with his name. Chief Minister Vijayan further said that the new bill would allow the Union government to predetermine annual allocations for states based on select parameters, thereby weakening the guarantee element and limiting the ability of states to respond to actual demand on the ground. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)