RSP MP's house stoned, parties deplore attack

Unidentified persons pelted stones at the house of newly elected RSP MP N K Premachandran here but none was injured, even as party leaders alleged that it appeared to be a handiwork of "political rivals."
Glass panes of the front window of the house were shattered in the stoning, and posters were pasted on the compound wall decrying the switch over of RSP from CPI(M)-led LDF to the Congress-led UDF on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls.
No one was injured as Premachandran and his family members were not in the house when the attack happened.
CPI(M) leaders rejected the suggestions that the party workers or sympathisers could be behind the attack holding that resorting to violent methods against political opponents was not the party's line.

Premachandran, who is in Delhi, termed the incident as "unfortunate" and said he expected that an effective probe would expose the culprits and their motive behind it.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy deplored the attack and directed the district police superintendent to conduct an effective investigation and bring to book the culprits at the earliest.

"This is not acceptable. This can not be tolerated", Chandy told reporters in Aluva.
RSP state secretary A A Azeez alleged that "political rivals could be behind the heinous and pre-planned act."
CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan also deplored the attack and said his party did not believe in violence against rivals.

Police said a group of persons appeared to have carried out the attack last night and pasted posters condemning RSP's shift to the UDF, shedding its long association with the LDF following dispute over the Kollam seat.
RSP had severed its ties with CPI(M)-led LDF on the eve of the April 10 Lok Sabha polls and became a parter with the Congress-led UDF.
Premachandran defeated CPI(M) politburo member and former
state Minister M B Baby in the polls.
RSP and RSP(B), which is already a partner in the ruling
front, are scheduled to merge at a "re-unification" conference here on June 10.