Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] of unleashing violence in the State.
He was speaking to mediapersons in Haripad on Wednesday.
Condemning the murder of a Youth League activist at Panoor in Kannur and attack on Congress workers at Kayamkulam and Haripad in Alappuzha and other parts of the State, Mr. Chennithala said the attacks revealed the CPI(M)'s fear and frustration of losing power.
“The CPI(M) should shed the path of violence. The murder of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) activist is similar to the assassination of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan. The CPI(M) leadership should initiate steps to promote peace,” he said while demanding the government to bring the culprits to book.
Mr. Chennithala said the CPI(M) had indulged in widespread booth capturing at the Taliparamba Assembly constituency and demanded re-polling there. “CPI(M) leader M.V. Govindan had called for bogus voting. As a result, United Democratic Front (UDF) agents were not allowed inside a number of polling booths at Taliparamba on polling day. The Election Commission of India (ECI) should look into the matter and conduct re-polling there,” Mr. Chennithala said.
Stating that interventions made by the Opposition helped prevent bogus voting in the polls,he said the Opposition thanked the Kerala High Court and the ECI. He urged the ECI to prepare an error-free voters' list. On the alleged malpractices in the postal voting, he said the UDF was looking into the charges.
Mr. Chennithala criticised the LDF for "threatening" the Nair Service Society (NSS). “If A.K. Balan filed a complaint against the NSS for using the name of Lord Ayyappa, then he should first register a complaint against the Chief Minister,” he said.
