The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district unit has launched a damage control exercise following the arrest of two of its local activists in connection with the alleged attack on three migrant workers from West Bengal at Nadapuram last week.
The police had arrested Malayil Manoj and Illikkal Meethal Abhilash after they were identified by the victims who had taken part in anti-CAA protests organised by the Congress-IUML combine at Kallachi town.
The victims, Shafiullah Islam, Sasna Abdullah, and Mukkram Khan, all hailing from Murshidabad, were assaulted with sticks and stones at their rented house at Nadapuram at night.
Incidentally, the masked assailants, numbering four, wore saffron shawls, giving an impression that they belonged to Sangh Parivar outfits.
The CPI(M) area committee has already made it clear that it will not shield the culprits and demanded that the police nab the remaining accused as well. At the same time, the local committee put the blame on a gang of illicit liquor traders.
However, the arrest has acquired a political dimension, with the Congress and the IUML and even the BJP leadership criticising the CPI(M).
The party is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds on the CAA issue, District Congress Committee (DCC) president T. Siddique said.
IUML district vice president Ahamed Punnakkal said the incident exposed the fascist face of the CPI(M). The party is no different from the violent mobs in Uttar Pradesh, he alleged.
The development comes when the CPI(M) leadership is struggling to tide over the case of its workers, Allan Shuhaib and Thwaha Fasal, who were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged links with Maoists.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Kochi, has also taken over the case, and the State secretariat of the CPI(M) accused the Centre of not consulting the State Government before taking the decision.
Now, it has emerged that the NIA has taken over the case after the State police slapped UAPA charges on the Maoist suspects.
Besides, the Ministry of Home Affairs had intimated the matter to the Home Department too. Allan and Thwaha, students of law and journalism respectively of Kannur University, were taken into custody by the police from Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on November 1.
They were attached to the Meenchanda and Paramal branches respectively under the South area committee of the CPI(M) in the district.
