Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s reported call for ‘payback’ while addressing a public meeting at tension-hit Payyannur has kicked up a row, with the CPI(M)’s political rivals terming it an open call for vengeance and violence. Payyannur had witnessed the murder of a CPI(M) worker and a retaliatory killing of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker two weeks ago
Mr. Balakrishnan’s remarks drew sharp response from Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran and BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan. While Mr. Sudheeran said the CPI(M) leader was calling for unleashing violence, the BJP leader demanded that Mr. Balakrishnan be booked for incitement of violence.
Mr. Balakrishnan reportedly said though his party favoured peace, it would not remain passive when BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers attacked CPI(M) workers. He accused the RSS of inciting violence in the area that had remained peaceful.
CPI(M) worker Dhanaraj was hacked to death in his house on July 11 night and within hours BJP worker C.K. Ramachandran was stabbed to death in a similar fashion near Payyannur. Mr. Balakrishnan’s ‘justification of vengeance’ drew ire since it could vitiate the law and order situation.
Senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran said the CPI(M) had trained squads to injure or eliminate political rivals. At a public meeting here on Monday, Mr. Sudhakaran said the CPI(M) leader should have upheld the dignity of the position he was holding. District Congress president K. Surendran said that trouble had started in Kannur since the RSS held its ‘chinthan bythak’ (introspection meeting) in November last year, which was attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Both the RSS and the CPI(M) were equally culpable for inciting this politics or violence and vengeance, he added.
CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan, however, defended Mr. Balakrishnan. He said Mr. Balakrishnan had not called for unleashing violence. He had remarked that RSS workers attacking CPI(M) workers in CPI(M) stronghold areas would not return happy.
