After attack on candidate, security upped in Kannur and Kasaragod

Kozhikode: Days after a brutal attack on a CPM rebel candidate in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency, the police have intensified security on the borders of Kannur and Kozhikode districts in north Kerala. Police have also decided to intensify security in light of the vote counting scheduled for Thursday.

CPM rebel leader Naseer , who is now recovering in a hospital in Kozhikode, was hacked allegedly by CPM workers on Saturday night. One bike-borne man smashed Naseer's head with an iron rod, another stabbed him in stomach and on hands with knife and a third assailant rode the bike over him, Naseer said in his statement. to the cops.

The attack was to avenge leaving the party (CPM) and contesting against its leader (P Jayarajan), Naseer told cops who had registered his statement on Sunday morning.

Naseer underwent emergency surgery at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and is still in the ICU.

Regulations on counting day

Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency, which has Legislative Assembly constituencies from Kannur and Kozhikode districts, will be under tight security on the counting day as well as for the next few days, said Vadakara DySP PP Sadanandan. On Monday, he held a meeting with the leaders of all the political parties and they agreed to hold victory celebrations at different times.

“The party that wins the Lok Sabha election from Vadakara constituency can hold celebration and rallies on Thursday evening. The party that sweeps maximum seats in the state may hold similar celebration on Friday morning. Similarly, if a party creates an impact nationally, their party workers too can hold celebration on Friday afternoon. All the party leaders have agreed to this to avoid any clash between the opposing parties after the counting is over,” said the DySP.

Sources also said that CCTV cameras are in place to watch the suspicious movements including carriers of money. Suspicious areas would be raided as there are information on weapons hidden in abandoned buildings.

However, the DySP did not elaborate on the activities as it would affect the security measures.

Congress condemns attack

Mullappally Ramachandran, the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), condemned the attack on Naseer and equated it to the attack on RMPI leader TP Chandrasekharan, who was killed by CPM workers in 2012, after he quit the CPM.

Ramachandran said the killers of TP Chandrasekharan were behind the attack on Naseer.

TP was killed for exposing the CPM. The same method was used in Naseer’s attack, he said.

Vadakara UDF candidate K Muraleedharan and Kozhikode DCC president T Siddique also condemned the attack on Naseer.

On Sunday, the Thalassery police registered case against three CPM workers, who are identifiable, according to Naseer's statement.

Thalassery CI Viswambharan is investigating the case.

Meanwhile, K Muraleedharan P Jayarajan, the UDF and LDF candidates from Vadakara, visited Naseer at the hospital on Monday.

Muralidharan suspected Jayarajan’s role in the attack.

"He (Jayarajan) is an accused in 10 criminal cases. Party leadership might have had knowledge of the attack. Naseer, a former municipal councilor, had left the party over differences on candidate selection in Vadakara. CPM was set to lose votes he would have gathered," Muralidharan had said on Sunday.