Congress Working Committee member A.K. Antony has said that only a political solution can put an end to the bloodshed in Kannur district.
At a news conference here on Monday, Mr. Antony said he suspected that a section of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Rashtriya Sweyamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders were not interested in ending the violence as they had evolved a long-term strategy to divide the State on political lines.
Electoral success
The CPI (M) leaders think they would achieve electoral success by weakening the Congress party as the BJP would not grow beyond a point in the State, Mr. Antony said. He doubted whether the CPI (M)-led government was keen on bringing peace to the troubled regions in Kannur district.
Force helpless
Even senior police officers had said that the force was helpless in this regard.
“The police should be given full freedom to tackle violence with a firm hand. I had done that when I was the Chief Minister. I ensured that there was no political interference in police action. For that, even Congress leaders blamed me,” Mr. Antony said.
Restoring peace
Thus the Congress-led UDF government could restore peace in Nadapuram, Kannur, Payyannur, Panur, Koothuparamba and Taliparamba.
Now the situation was grim and if left uncontrolled, Kannur would return to the macabre days of the 1970s.
The CPI(M) and RSS leaders should first decide to stop killing each other. But both sides had become arrogant after the BJP came to power in the Centre and the CPI(M) in the State.
Bloodshed could stop only if they take a sane decision, the former Chief Minister said.
