8 injured in political clashes; hartal in Koyilandy, Orkatteri

Kozhikode: At least eight persons were injured in two separate incidents of political violence allegedly involving workers of the CPM, RSS and RMP in the district, the police said on Monday.

Both the incidents took place on Sunday, they said.

In the first incident, the CPM and RSS activists clashed after the Marxist party workers were attacked in Puliancherry near Koyilandy.

Five CPM workers and three women workers of BJP were injured.

The CPM today observed a 12-hour hartal to protest the attack on its workers.

In another incident, the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) office at Orkatteri village near Vadakara, about 48 kms from here, was attacked and ransacked by a group people allegedly belonging to the CPM, they added.

The trouble began after an argument between an auto driver and an RMP activist, police said.

In the ensuing clash between the CPM and RMP workers, several vehicles and houses in the area close to the RMP office were damaged in stone pelting.

Meanwhile, as many as 18 RMP cadres, including its state secretary N Venu were taken into preventive custody, police said,adding details about the exact number of persons injured could be known only later.

To condemn the attack on the party office, a dawn-to-dusk hartal was observed by RMP workers on Monday.

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