It was no coincidence that the CPI(M) Central Committee office in New Delhi was attacked the day after BJP vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu announced his party’s intentions in Kochi, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan alleged on Sunday.

Speaking here on Saturday, Naidu had said that it would look “very pathetic” if the BJP decided to do to the CPI(M) in its own strongholds what it was doing to the BJP-RSS in Kannur. Naidu also stated that the BJP would need to consider “other means” if the CPI(M) did not stop attacking its workers in Kannur forthwith.

Referring to this, the CM claimed at a press conference that the BJP’s national leadership was in full know of the “attack” that took place at the CPI(M) headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday, and said it did not bode well for democracy.

At the same time, an angry Achuthanandan opposed an all-party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday to defuse the situation in Kannur, as suggested by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat. He said the time was not conducive for such a meeting, and it would be initiated “at an appropriate time”.

Responding to a query, he said: “We don’t kill with the speed of the RSS. The death toll so far in Kannur is still six of ours to four of theirs.”

All across Kerala, the CPI(M) and its feeder outfits spent Sunday taking out angry processions against the New Delhi violence. Incendiary slogans were raised, demands made to close every RSS shakha in the state and speeches made of a “fiery” retaliation.

... contd.