Tension prevailed in the municipal limits after unidentified miscreants pelted stones on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) district unit office here and another building under the party control as stray incidents of violence were reported as the infuriated party workers staged march in the city streets to resent the attack, police said.
Following tension in the town and adjoining localities, shop keepers downed their shutters in the afternoon while buses, including the Kerala State Road Transport buses, opted not to ply in the municipal limits after unidentified group of people pelted stones on the BJP workers, select shops and a two-wheeler in the town as the party loyalists were staging a march in the town to denounce the attack on the party’s district unit office.
The attack on the BJP office situated at Karanatakad locality and another building named after late party veteran K. G. Marar at Thalipaadappu, leading to smashing of window glass panes, came to notice early this morning after which the party workers were found streaming into the spot.
Several flex boards and hoardings were also targeted by the unidentified group under the cover of darkness, police said.
The irked party supporters later took out a march to the protest the attack.
However, a section of people grouped themselves and pelted stones on the protesters, a two-wheeler and shops forcing the shopkeepers to down the shutters in the afternoon. Apprehending trouble, the Kasaragod bound buses suspended their services inside the municipal limits in the afternoon.
Police resorted to mild lathi-charge and lobbed smoke grenades to disperse the warring groups, a senior police official said.
BJP district unit General Secretary K. Sreekanth accused members of the Indian Union Muslim League affiliated labour wing Swatantra Thozhilali Union (STU) of unleashing the attack on the demonstrators.
The police had taken 10 BJP loyalists into custody for taking march in the town without prior permission, they said adding that the situation was under control.
