The fragile peace in this politically sensitive region of Kerala was broken as a CPI(M) cadre and a BJP worker were killed in separate incidents within hours near here, police said today.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, whose government's initiatives in January this year had led to a brief lull in the cycle of violence in the region, said none 'desires' political killings and police had been instructed to prevent any escalation.
In the fresh violence, a CPI-M leader was fatally hacked last night at Palloor in nearby Mahe, an enclave of union territory of Puducherry, and in an apparent retaliatory attack a BJP worker was killed within hours at New Mahe, police said.
A dawn-to-dusk hartal called by CPI(M) and BJPin Kannur and Mahe to protest the killings evoked near total response and passed off without any major incidents, police said.
The killings shattered the four-month long lull in political violence involving workers of ruling CPI-M and BJP and RSS workers in the Kannur region.
In January this year, the LDF government initiated several rounds of peace talks with leaders of various political parties, including the CPI(M), BJP and the Congress resulting in the fragile peace.
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State Governor P Sathasivam had then voiced concern over the recurring violence and wanted the political leadership in the state to sit together and persuade their cadres to choose the path of peace.
Police said former Mahe Municipal Councillor Babu, 42, was attacked by a group of eight people, stated to be RSS and BJP workers at Palloor around 9 PM yesterday and he died while being rushed to a hospital.
Barely half-an-hour later, 40-year old BJP worker Shemaj, an autorickshaw driver, was pulled out of his vehicle and hacked to death by a six-member gang at New Mahe near here.
Police said the identity of the assailants in this incident was under investigation, adding both the attacks were due to political vendetta.
BJP alleged CPI-M workers were behind the attack on its party worker.
Tension prevailed in Mahe today after a BJP office was attacked and a Puducherry police jeep torched allegedly by CPI-M activists, police said adding there was no casualty.
The incident happened during the funeral procession of CPI-M activist Babu.
The situation was brought under control follwing intervention by police personnel posted in the area.
Reacting to the latest killings, Vijayan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram "no one desires political killings".
He said instructions had been given to police to ensure that violence do not escalate in Kannur and nearby areas.
Mahe, a former French colony, is located between Thalassery in Kannur district and Vadakara in Kozhikode district. New Mahe comes under Kannur district.
With the twin murders last night, both Kerala and Puducherry police have deployed several personnel in the area as a precautionary step to prevent any further outbreak of violence.
A reserve police battalion from Puducherry was on its way to Mahe as a reinforcement, police said.
Meanwhile, leaders of the CPI-M and BJP traded charges over the killings.
Kannur CPI-M District Secretary P Jayarajan alleged the killing of their party leader was a "deliberate and planned" attack and demanded a probe into the conspiracy behind it.
He alleged that the RSS and BJP were trying to create an atmosphere of tension and had broken the peace accord.
CPI-M Kerala Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan condemned the attack and alleged that the saffron party was trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere.
BJP state unit President Kummanam Rajasekharan said police failed to ensure safety of party cadres.
Congress leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy condemned the political killings and wanted both CPI-M and BJP to eschew violence.
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