Thiruvananthapuram: A police hunt is on to nab the miscreant who threw an explosive substance at the AKG Centre, the CPM State headquarters, in Thiruvananthapuram city on Thursday night. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across the state fearing retaliatory attacks by angry CPM cadre. Kannur, the home district of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and KPCC president K Sudhakaran is under heightened vigil.
The incident occurred around 11.30 pm. No one was injured.
The explosive fell on the compound wall situated adjacent to the gate of the AKG Hall in the AKG Centre compound.
The police have cordoned off the AKG Centre area. A large posse of police is camping in the area.
The CCTV visuals of the incident shows a scooter arriving at the spot from the Kunnukuzhi side. It is clear from the CCTV visuals that the miscreant parked his scooter in front of AKG Hall for a while, then threw the explosive targeting the compound wall and sped away in the vehicle.
The face of the accused and his vehicle number are not clear from the CCTV visuals, said Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Sparjan Kumar.
The police have collected the visuals from the CCTV cameras installed at nearby houses and commercial establishments. The police hope that they will be able to track the details of the vehicle in which accused came to the spot.
A large-scale checking of vehicles is on in the city.
The dog and bomb squads of the police have reached the spot and inspected the place.
Transport Minister Antony Raju, CPM politburo members A Vijayaraghavan and party central committee member P K Sreemathy visited AKG Centre after hearing the news. Vijayaraghavan said that it was deliberate act meant for provocation.
CPI State Secretary Kanam Rajendran visited the spot on Friday morning.
Protests by CPM workers
Upon hearing about the incident CPM workers took out protest marches in various parts of the state. A protest march was held later in the city under the banner of the Thiruvananthapuram district committee of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).
Indira statue broken
The CPM and DYFI workers, who took out a protest march in Alappuzha town against the attack on AKG Centre, allegedly destroyed one of the hands of Indira statue situated near the main post office.
Later around 1 pm, a group of 60 DYFI workers led by district president James Shamuel blocked the national highway at the General Hospital junction.
Police on toes, Kannur under watch
The police security given to the Cliff House, the official residence of the Chief Minister, and residences of various ministers have been scaled up. A large posse of police has been posted in front of the Secretariat, the State Assembly and various party offices, including that of Indira Bhavan, the KPCC headquarters situated at Vellayambalam in Thiruvananthapuram.
The residences of the chief minister and KPCC chief at their native places in Kannur are under a security blanket.
Police protection has been given to the CPM district committee office and the DCC office in Kannur. Various party offices in other districts too have been put under strict police vigil.
Night patrolling in Kannur town has been intensified.
Security lapse
The preliminary assessment is that the bomb-throwing incident reported on Thursday was a major security lapse on the part of the police. The CPM leaders, who came to the AKG Centre after the incident, also shared this view.
Leaders call for restraint
Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener and CPM central committee member E P Jayarajan said the attack was aimed at derailing the law and order in the State with the ultimate aim of destabilising the government.
Jayarajan urged CPM activists to maintain calm and hold only protest marches.
CPM State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that attempt was aimed at making Kerala 'a land of riots'. He urged the CPM workers to keep restraint and hold peaceful protests instead of falling into the trap set by the United Democratic Front. He also sought a probe into the issue.
Education Minister V Sivankutty, who visited the spot, said that the AKG Centre was attacked on earlier occasions by anti-Communist forces. He said more details on the attack could be revealed only after conducting a detailed probe.
Finance Minister K N Balagopal said that politics should be carried out only in a peaceful manner. He further added that the CPM would unitedly resist the move to create riots in the society.
CPI former State secretary Panniyan Ravindran and DYFI national president and Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim also flayed the attack.
Strict vigil in Wayanad
Strict security measures have been enforced at the Kannur Airport as part of Rahul Gandhi's visit to Wayanad on Friday. This is his first visit to the Lok Sabha constituency after his MP's office was ransacked by the activists of the Students' Federation of India last week.
