Amid violent protests over the entry of three women under the age of 50 into Sabarimala temple, houses of BJP and Left leaders were attacked late on Friday night. 

A country-made bomb was hurled at the ancestral house of BJP MP V Muraleedharan in Kerala's Kannur district, soon after a similar attack on CPI(M) MLA AN Shamseer's residence. A CPI(M) worker was also hacked to death at Irutty in Kannur. CPI(M) blamed BJP and RSS workers for the attacks.

State BJP president Muraleedharan's house was attacked by country-made bomb when his sister and family were inside. Muraleedharan alleged that CPI(M) was behind the attack.

Unidentified persons riding a bike hurled a bomb at Shamseer's house at Madapeedikayil near Thalassery in Kannur district of northern Kerala at around 10.15 pm.

"This was an RSS conspiracy to instigate violence in the state. They intend to create violence and destroy the peaceful atmosphere of the state," Shamseer told media.

The attack happened when the Left leader was attending a peace meeting organised at Thalassery after widespread violence had hit the state following the hartal declared by right-wing groups over the entry of women in Sabarimala.

Bombs were also hurled at CPI(M) leader and former Kannur district secretary of CPI(M) P Sasi's house at Thalassery. In Iritty, a CPI(M) activist Vishak was attacked who later succumbed to injuries. 

In another development, prohibitory orders have been issued at Pandalam, Adoor and Kodumon police station areas in Pathanamthitta district for seven days.

Two shops and the house of a CPI(M) local leader at Adoor were also attacked with bombs on Friday. Seven persons were injured in these attacks.

Pathanamthitta has witnessed widespread violence over the entry of women into the hill-top shrine of Sabarimala resulting in the death of a Sabarimala Karma Samiti member Chandran Unnithan at Pandalam.

Kerala DGP Loknath Behera said 33 people have been taken into preventive detention in connection with violence in Kannur district last night.

76 cases have been registered in connection with attacks in Pathanamthitta district; 25 remanded and 204 people have been taken into preventive detention, he said. 110 people have also been arrested in connection with violent protests, he added. 

Kerala has been marred with violence since the afternoon of January 2 after two women of menstruating age managed to enter Sabarimala temple. The southern state has been witnessing massive protests from the right-wing organisations since the Left-led state government decided to implement the September 28 order of the Supreme Court allowing women of all ages to enter the centuries-old temple. 

(With agencies)