UDF conspired violence in Perambra, public will realise false propaganda: CPM

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM Kerala secretary MV Govindan on Friday came down heavily on the Congress-led UDF over the violence in Kozhikode’s Perambra, accusing it of conspiring to incite unrest by attacking the police with explosives.

Govindan also criticised MP Shafi Parambil for leading the protest that escalated into violence in Perambra.

The clashes stemmed from a hartal and tensions related to the college union election at CKGM Government College, Perambra, on October 9. In the election, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), affiliated with the CPM, won 15 seats, while the KSU–MSF alliance secured five. However, the bloc managed to win the chairperson’s post, triggering clashes between rival groups that later spread to Perambra town.

Tensions further escalated when supporters of both fronts came face-to-face near Perambra bus stand during separate rallies on October 10. When police intervened, violence broke out, leaving several people, including police officers and MP Shafi Parambil, injured.

“UDF workers staged the protest with the intention of creating violence. They had collected stones and explosives beforehand. When the police intervened, they hurled explosives at them, injuring many officers. In a bid to save their face, they accused the police of attacking them,” said Govindan.

He alleged that the UDF had conspired to spark riots across the state following the SFI’s victories in several campuses, including Calicut University.

Meanwhile, Govindan refused to comment on the Enforcement Directorate’s summons to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son, Vivek Kiran. Losing his cool at the media, he said neither he nor his party were interested in responding to “fake news or false propaganda.”

“This kind of allegation will continue until the next Assembly elections. But nobody can unsettle the CPM with such baseless claims,” he said.

He also criticised the Congress, SDPI, and Jamaat-e-Islami for “communalising” the hijab row at a CBSE school in Ernakulam and engaging in divisive politics across the state.

Dismissing the opposition’s allegations against the LDF government over the Sabarimala gold scam, the CPM leader said the investigation was progressing in the right direction and that all culprits would be brought before justice. “Ayyappan’s gold will be recovered,” he added.