Tension broke out at Kankol near Payyannur following destruction of party flag poles by activists of rival Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in the area.
A hartal called by the local CPI(M) in the area on Monday to protest against the police action on Sunday night was total. The police used force to disperse Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and CPI(M) activists when their march to protest against the destruction of a party flag pole in the area allegedly by the IUML activists turned violent.
The police used lathis to disperse the protestors when some of them tried to dismantle the flag pole of the IUML. The protestors also blockaded the Kankol-Cheemeni road on Sunday night.
In a related incident in the early hours of Monday, the house of a local IUML leader came under attack by suspected CPI(M) activists. The window panes of the house of IUML leader Saifuddin were smashed in stone-throwing, the police said. The police said that a posse of police personnel was deployed in the area in view of the tense situation.
