Murder politics: Police issue 'code of conduct' to Kannur netas

In the politically sensitive Kannur district in Kerala that witnessed seven deaths in political violence in the past five decades, the District Police Chief Sanjaykumar Gurudin  has issued a 'code of conduct' to political leaders. The unprecedented move comes as the leaders of both the CPM and the BJP continue to raise the war cry. 

'Tone down your statements and work for peace sincerely,' the police official urged politicians. Statements and speeches that would ignite tension should be avoided. Do not urge workers to engage in violence in a covert or overt manner. The police also warned that the political leadership could not shrug off the moral and legal responsibility of political violence. 

The District Police Chief also urged the leadership to initiate the campaign for peace. The police will be forced to take strict legal action against those who stand against police action and oppose them. Political parties should avoid giving heroes' welcome to convicts or accused of political violence when they come out on bail. The leaders should avoid speaking in praise of them, which would amount to encouraging violence and idolise the culprits. 

This is the first time a district police official is writing a letter without mincing words to political leadership in Kannur. The letter begins by reminding the politicians that their party workers are either the victims or the culprits in most of the violence. 

Notorious for bloody political murders in the past five decades, Kannur saw a spate of violence since the Assembly Elections May this year. Six activists of CPM and the BJP lost their lives in the rabid hatred between the parties, and another BJP worker died when he was making a crude bomb in his house in the past five months.  

When the violence invited national condemnation, the BJP and the CPM state leadership blamed each other for the murders and refused to take the lead for initiating peace. 

• Kannur
• cpm-bjp clash
• Code of conduct for netas