Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala police have registered a case of attempt to murder against two Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislators K K Narayanan and C Krishnan in connection with the attack on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Kannur, the Marxist bastion, on Sunday.
Chandy, who was injured in stone pelting during a protest by CPI (M) workers, is now under treatment at the Trivandrum Medical College Hospital. Though he had undergone preliminary treatment at Kannur, he was rushed to the state capital for more treatment late night. The Chief Minister was subjected to CT scanning of the chest. Doctors said his condition is stable.
The police have arrested 22 persons, most of them from the CPI (M) and its youth outfit, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), in connection with the incident. Cases have also been registered against 1,000 identifiable Left Democratic Front workers, including senior CPI (M) leaders P K Sreemathi, P Jayarajan and M V Jayarajan.
Cases under Section 308 of Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) were registered against the two legislators as they were present among the protestors, who hurled stones at the Chief Minister’s vehicle, the police said.
CPI (M) workers led by P Jayarajan and M V Jayarajan marched to the Kannur town police station on Monday morning to protest against the arrest of the party workers. They were stopped in front of the station. They alleged that ruling front workers were behind the attack on the Chief Minister.
Party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has endorsed the allegation. He said the biggest beneficiary of the attack was the Chief Minister himself. The Opposition would never have conceded such an advantage to him at a time when they are spearheading an agitation for his resignation in the solar scam.
He pointed out that the LDF workers, who tried to block Chandy were surrounded by the police. There was no way they could attack the Chief Minister.
He clarified that the incident would not affect the LDF’s current agitation for Chandy’s resignation. Vijayan said that the Opposition would go ahead with the scheduled programmes, including the indefinite blockade of Cliff House, the official residence of the Chief Minister from December 9.
The central leadership of the CPI (M) has also ruled out the possibility of involvement of the LDF workers in the attack. However, Communist Party of India general secretary Sudhakar Reddy condemned the attack. Party’s state secretary Panniyan Ravindran termed the attack as a blot on the LDF.
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