Even as the police and the government faced criticism for failing to prevent the murders of SDPI and RSS workers in Palakkad, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) alleged that there was a deliberate attempt to portray Kerala as a State of lawlessness.
The LDF district committee raised doubts about the visit of BJP State president K. Surendran in the district two days before SDPI worker A. Subair’s murder. “We seriously doubt the BJP leadership’s involvement in it. It should be investigated,” said CPI(M) district secretary E.N. Suresh Babu. He alleged that both murders had taken place with the knowledge and involvement of the RSS and the SDPI leaderships.
Mr. Surendran, however, denied the allegation saying that it was baseless and did not warrant a reply. The LDF district committee said here that the untoward incidents at Elappully and Melamuri should not be considered as a failure of law and order in the State. It was a deliberate attempt being made to communally polarize the people.
The LDF will counter the communal polarization drive by conducting awareness programmes at different levels. “Deliberate attempts were being made to introduce the communal fervor of north Indian States in Kerala. We should defeat any such move,” said the LDF district committee.
Speaker M.B. Rajesh said that both the RSS and the SDPI were trying to create a communal divide in the State. He said they were trying in Palakkad an experiment that failed in Alappuzha. Mr. Rajesh called upon the people to single out the RSS and the SDPI. He said there was no failure on the side of the police.
Former Minister A.K. Balan said that the murders of Friday and Saturday were not isolated incidents. Minister for Power K. Krishnankutty said that stern action would be initiated against those instigating violence. The culprits in both cases will be rounded up in two days, he said. He warned that there would be a crackdown against those promoting communal violence.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty said at Malappuram that the people of Kerala would not embrace the communal, divisionist politics being played in north India. “Kerala will unitedly reject such forces,” he said.
BJP State executive member K. Surendran said that the State government was encouraging extremist forces and trying to make political gains by weakening the IUML.
