CPM-BJP clash in Thiruvananthapuram, houses and party offices ransacked
- CPM activists stoned the BJP headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, prompting a similar attack from the latter within hours
- Several vehicles, including party state president Kummanam Rajasekharan's car, were vandalised in the attack on the BJP office
- CPM also bore the brunt of the clashes as BJP workers stoned the residence of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's son
FollowSeveral incidents of violence were reported from Thiruvananthapuram on Friday morning as the CPM-RSS animosity in the state took a turn for the worse.
Both CPM and BJP activists went on a rampage, vandalising party offices and houses, damaging vehicles and injuring several people. The incidents were reported mainly from the Manacaud, Attukal and Chalai areas in the state capital. The mobs, which went on a vandalising spree, didn't even spare passersby and merchants.
It all started with angry CPM activists stoning the BJP headquarters, prompting a similar attack from the latter within hours. The BJP state office near Thycaud was ambushed by armed persons on motorbikes at around 1.40 am.
#LeftistTerror ,aided by #JungleRajInKerala .Widespread attack in Thiruvananthapuram-@BJP4Keralam state office vandalized in police presence pic.twitter.com/Yce5hmeHHE
— KummanamRajasekharan (@Kummanam) July 28, 2017
Several vehicles, including party state president Kummanam Rajasekharan's car, were vandalised in the attack. Kummanam was present at the office at the time of attack.
The BJP released CCTV visuals that showed the attack. Museum station SI and five other policemen were stationed at the office but they could not stop the attack. When a policeman tried to prevent the attack, the attackers beat him up. The BJP has alleged that CPM's Kunnukuzhy councillor IP Binu led the attack.
BJP office in Thiruvananthapuram attacked by alleged CPM activists [Video]
CPM also bore the brunt of the clashes as BJP workers stoned the residence of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's son in Maruthamkuzhi just hours later.
Unidentified persons stoned the house at around 3.40 am. Kodiyeri was not there at the time of the incident but Bineesh was. "I was on my way back from Kannur, when I got this news. I was in the train," IANS quoted Kodiyeri as saying.
Kodiyeri said he generally stays in the party apartment but at times he stays with his son. "May be the BJP and RSS activists thought I was staying there last night and hence unleashed the attack," he pointed out, adding "We condemn this attack as we do not subscribe to any such attacks."
BJP leader MT Ramesh has denied the involvement of the party workers in attacks which happened on CPM activists.
The clashes broke out in the state capital after there has been sporadic clashes between the two groups in the past two weeks. The clashes had begun when the student wings of these two political parties clashed in two colleges. Later the youth wings of both parties flexed muscles against each other.
On Thursday there were skirmishes between the workers of these parties at a few places in the city and its suburbs. The police decided to strengthen security around both party offices.
