Walkout by LDF members in Kerala over law and order situation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: LDF opposition led by CPI-M members in Kerala today staged a walkout in the assembly over refusal to admit an adjournment motion regarding the murder of a DYFI activist allegedly by BJP workers at Pannathadi panchayat in Kasargod district.

Replying to the notice for the motion moved by James Mathew (CPI-M), Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala made it clear that the murder of activist Abdul Sherif was not political and it was a result of a "local dispute". Sherif was stabbed on June 26 and died at a hospital next day, he said.

A BJP activist Arun Lal was killed over a petty quarrel on June 24 in the same area and political rivalry was not the reason behind that murder also, he said. One of the accused in the case was a CPI-M activist, the minister claimed.

In both cases, the accused had been arrested and investigation was progressing, he said, adding, there is "tension in the area" now and more police have been deployed to monitor the situation.

Kannur IG has been asked to investigate both the murders, he said.

Chennithala rejected the LDF charge that number of political murders have increased after the UDF came to power and claimed that actually political murders have come down.

He said 18 political murders were reported after this government came to power.

Chennithala also refuted the LDF allegation that police in the state have become weak due to politicisation of police force.

However, Chennithala agreed with the view expressed by LDF member Mathew that sand and forest mafia were behind the murder of Sherif.

"All these aspects would be probed," he added. After the reply of Chennithala, Speaker G Karthikeyan denied permission to move the motion.

Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan alleged that after the NDA government led by Narendra Modi came to power at Centre, BJP activists were behaving that they could do anything.

Mathew said government has to be on vigil as Kasargod district was a very sensitive one which was largely prone to communal tension.

Congress was abetting the activists of BJP in the state, he alleged and walked out of the House along with other LDF members.