IUML running camps for training hit-men: LDF

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE, JUNE 9. A group of LDF leaders today accused the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of running training camps to produce hit-men for deployment in violence-prone places like Nadapuram.

This charge was made at a press conference by members of an LDF delegation after they visited the strife-torn Nadapuram region today.

The brutal murder of CPI(M) worker Binu at Kallachi, which triggered off the latest bout of rioting, was a well-planned operation, they said and added there was strong reason to suspect the hands of a gang that had been trained to carry out such acts of violence.

``It is now clear that the Muslim League is conducting training camps somewhere to produce cold-blooded killers,'' alleged the LDF leaders.

They condemned the police failure to make any arrests in connection with the incident which took place six days ago and alleged that the Government was protecting the guilty.

The LDF leaders demanded quick steps by the Government to help the victims of riots to rebuild their lives.

Among other things, the LDF leaders asked the Government to send a mobile Maveli store unit to the violence-affected areas.

In these places, all shops had been either burnt down or the shop-keepers were too scared to keep their shops open. As a result, there was a serious shortage of essential commodities.

The LDF delegation said they were shocked by what they saw during their visit to Nadapuram today. ``We saw some scary and heart-rending scenes,'' said Mr. M. Ali Koya, convener of the Kozhikode unit of the LDF and former Minister, Mr. A.C. Shanmughadas.

The LDF leaders highlighted the hardships their supporters had to suffer ``because of the violence let loose by IUML supporters.'' Many of them had suffered heavy losses. Extensive looting had taken place in Valayalam, Kakkattil, Kallachi, Theruvanparambu, Kummangod, Chekyad, Kakkamvalli and Mokeri. The loss was put at several lakhs of rupees. A large number of houses had also been destroyed.

CPI(M) workers who had lost their homes had been given shelter in camps. Since April 17, as many as 22 families have been living in one such camp. Though the schools had reopened, they could not go back to their houses as it had been destroyed and they were too poor to rebuild them.

The LDF leaders urged the Government to rush financial aid to the victims of violence. Without Governmental support it would be impossible for them to rebuild their houses.

When newsmen pointed out that the UDF leaders had made similar complaints when the LDF was in power, the LDF leaders said there was peace for nearly three years after a peace meeting called by the then Chief Minister, Mr. E.K. Nayanar. It was the Muslim League which had ignited violence again by murdering Binu, they alleged.

The LDF leaders took strong exception to media reports which sought to portray the slain youth as the first accused in the complaint of rape lodged by a Muslim woman. They said the charge of rape was foisted on the youth after he won a favourable order from the RDO over a dispute over right of passage.

The RDO's order went against the brother of the Muslim woman who is alleged to have been raped. It was personal enmity arising from the adverse verdict in this case that promoted the woman to raise the ``false rape charge'' against the murdered youth, the LDF leaders contended.

Mr. P.P. Ramakrishnan, CPI(M) MLA, who was also present, claimed he had seen the youth at the Kozhikode Medical College at the time the rape was alleged to have taken place. Binu had brought injured party workers to the hospital. ``He could not have committed the rape since he was not in Nadapuram,'' Mr. Ramakrishnan said.

The LDF leaders also accused a section of the media of projecting a twisted version of the realities in Nadapuram by portraying the CPI(M) as the principal aggressor.

The other members of the delegation were the CPI(M) district secretary, Mr. Kelappan, Mr. V.K.C. Mamoo Koya and Mr. Mathai Chacko, MLAs, and Mr. Balan Vaidyar, former MLA.

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