High alert has been sounded in Kerala after a bomb was hurled at the ruling CPI(M) headquarters in the state capital A K G Centre late on Thursday night and the party blamed the Congress for the attack but the latter denied any role in it.
The latest attack unfolded as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Kannur to visit his constituency Wayanad. His office was attacked last week allegedly by activists of Students Federation of India, CPI(M) youth wing, in Kalpetta. The state has witnessed a series of violent incidents since then. Gandhi is expected to address a big rally in Kalpetta in protest against the attack on his office.
Police said CCTV footages showed a man coming on a two-wheeler in hurry around 11.30 pm to the AKG Centre and threw a bomb at the gate of the building before fleeing the spot. They said no damage was inflicted to the building but the local-made bomb had high-intensity. Forensic experts and officers visited the spot soon after the attack.
“I was staying on the third floor of the AKG Centre and I heard a defeaning sound around 11.30 and saw smoke billowing from the gate. I was really shocked. All democratic forces should condemn such a dastardly attack,” said CPI(M) central committee member P K Sreemati. Party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the Congress was behind the attack. “It was a well planned and executed attack,” he said.
“We have constituted a special investigation team and started probe. We also increased security to all party offices,” said Thiruvananthapuram police commissioner Sparjan Kumar. State police chief Anil Kant directed SPs of all districts to maintain strict vigil.
Angry CPI(M) workers took out protest rallies at many places and stones were thrown at DCC offices in Kottayam and Kozhikode. Kottayam DCC office was stoned in the early hours of Friday and party leader Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan alleged the attack took place before the eyes of the police. He said the attack on CPI(M) office was pre-planned to divert attention from gold smuggling case and Rahul Gandhi’s visit.
“We have no role in it. It was enacted by the ruling party to divert attention from the problems the party steeped into. We suspect LDF convener E P Jayarajan’s role in it. Nine hours passed since bomb was hurled and the police are groping in the dark,” said state Congress president K Sudhakaran. He said if police conduct investigation sincerely suspects can be found in the CPI(M) office.
Last week (June 24) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s office was attacked by an alleged group of SFI activists which attracted national attention. After this the state has been witnessing sporadic violent incidents. Though the ruling CPI(M) condemned attack and arrested many SFI workers it invited enough embarrassment to it.
