Sporadic incidents of violence broke out soon after the polling in Kannur and Kasaragod on Tuesday.
Police arrested a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activist on Wednesday for the alleged murder of a Youth League activist at Koothuparamba, in Kannur.
The Youth League activist Paral Mansoor, 22, was killed after assailants attacked him soon after the polling was over at Pullukkara Mukil Peedika in Koothuparamba on Tuesday evening. Police have arrested Shinos, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] activist, who is a neighbour of the victim.
The assailants, who were DYFI activists, attacked the victim’s brother Muhasin, 27. Mansoor was hacked to death when he tried to save his brother. The attackers also threw a bomb.
Mr. Muhasin, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kozhikode, told media that all those who attacked were known to him and they were DYFI activists.
Condemning the attack, the United Democratic Front has declared a hartal in Koothuparamba on Wednesday.
In Kasaragod, also clashes took place between the CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday night. In the incident, Yuva Morcha Kasargod district vice-president Sreejith Parakkai was seriously injured. He was admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru. A CPI(M) activist Omana was also injured in the clash. He is undergoing treatment at the Kannur Medical College hospital in Pariyaram, Kannur.
Murder of league activist unfortunate: M V Jayarajan
Communist Pary of India (Marxist) denied any involvement in the murder of Mansoor. CPI(M) Kannur district secretary MV Jayarajan termed the murder as "unfortunate" and said the killing was not premeditated and took place in an area where the party had no influence.
Mr. Jayarajan said league activists assaulted CPIM activist C Damodaran while he was returning with an elderly woman who had come to vote in the open. The DYFI Peringalam zonal committee member Othayoth Swarup was also attacked for blocking it. Both were seriously injured, he noted.He further said that at around 7.30 pm on Tuesday, Shanos, a member of the DYFI Peringalam Zonal Committee, was abducted by league workers and taken to their headquarters.
The unfortunate assassination came amid clashes between CPI (M) activists and League members who had come to take the injured Shanos to hospital.He said that a case has been registered against two League activists for attacking LDF activists in the local elections. All this, however, does not justify the murder, he observed.
Let the police find the culprits through an impartial and fair investigation. Political leaders are effectively intervening to reduce the conflict in Kannur. As a result, the conflict has been significantly reduced. All parties are cooperating in this matter. There will be a collective effort to bring peace. Mr. Jayarajan added that the election was generally peaceful.
Premeditated murder: Mullappally Ramachandran
However, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran who visited the house of the victim on Wednesday, said that it was a premeditated murder.
Expressing the delay in finding the culprits, he said the murder took place while the Chief Minister was in Kannur. Mr. Vijayan must respond to the violence and murder that took place, he said.
He demanded that the government be prepared to end the violence.
KPCC working president K. Sudhakaran accused that there was a conspiracy behind the murder and alleged the role of Valsan Panoli, who is a member of the CPI(M) Kannur district secretariat behind it.
He said Mansoor was killed out of frustration of not being able to make the expected progress in the election.
If the LDF repeats such provocation, they will not stand idle, he warned. There is a big conspiracy behind the murder, Mr. Sudhakaran reiterated.
